A gunman was killed and two others injured during a shootout with police on Tuesday outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, according to local authorities. Two police officers also sustained minor injuries in the exchange of fire.
Earlier, Turkish state broadcaster TRT had reported that two of the three attackers were killed, but officials later clarified that one assailant died while the other two were wounded.
The attackers have since been identified. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci stated that the suspects had travelled to Istanbul in a rented vehicle from Izmit. He added that one of them had links to an organisation known for exploiting instability in the region.
While authorities have not officially named the group, Turkish media suggested a possible connection to the Islamic State. The group has previously been involved in clashes with Turkish security forces in Yalova, a coastal city along the Sea of Marmara.
In a similar incident last December, IS militants opened fire on police in Yalova, killing three officers and injuring nine others.
The minister also revealed that one of the attackers—who were brothers—had a prior record related to drug offences.
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