Summary

Media caption,

Gunfire heard as police respond to Israeli consulate incident

  1. One gunman dead and two held after shooting near Israeli consulatepublished at 14:21 BST

    Jacob Phillips
    Live reporter

    Drone footage shows police officers and medics near several ambulances near the Israeli consulate in IstanbulImage source, Reuters

    A gunman has been killed and two others "neutralised" in a clash with armed police near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.

    Two police officers were injured during the shooting and one of the suspects has "ties to an organisation that exploits religion," Turkey's Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi says.

    An eyewitness told Al Jazeera that three people arrived in a car and tried to open fire before security shot back.

    At least two dozen shots were heard in under a minute of footage from the scene.

    Verified footage shows armed officers, who appear to be security forces, taking up defensive positions behind vehicles and on a nearby verge.

    If this was an attempted attack on an Israeli target, then it was a brazen attack in broad daylight, writes our international correspondent in Istanbul.

    We are ending our live coverage. You can read more about the attack here.

  2. 'Bullets hit the walls' - man describes witnessing gunfirepublished at 13:57 BST

    Man in hooded jumper speaks to camera in middle of a quiet streetImage source, Reuters

    Eyewitness Onur Ekinci tells Reuters news agency: "Gun(fire) sounds came, loudly. Then the sounds continued to increase. It lasted 15-20 minutes."

    He continues: "Bullets hit the walls and everything. Then the police were going around inside, they were going up and down."

  3. Two injured police officers receiving hospital treatmentpublished at 13:45 BST

    The two police officers injured in the shooting are now being treated in hospital, says Turkish health minister Kemal Memişoğlu.

    CNN Turk has also published a photograph of one of the injured officers in a hospital bed.

    They are both expected to recover, with one lightly injured and another being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

  4. Israel says Turkish authorities thwarted 'terror attack' on consulatepublished at 13:15 BST

    Israel's foreign ministry has strongly condemned "the terrorist attack on the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul".

    "We appreciate the Turkish security forces’ swift action in thwarting this attack," a statement from the ministry says on X.

    It continues: "Israeli missions around the world have been subjected to countless threats and terrorist attacks. Terror will not deter us."

  5. Forensics seen near Istanbul consulate following shootingpublished at 12:52 BST

    A man in a white jacket stands close to a white van. Several officers stand holding guns next to some police tapeImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    The latest pictures from the scene in Istanbul show an investigation is continuing

    An officer wearing camouflage holds up a phone as he walks through a car park. A police officer can be seen standing next to the open boot of a carImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Armed officers are still at the scene of the shooting earlier today

    An armed police officer stands next to an ambulance close to the scene of the shootingImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    A number of ambulances have also been seen close to the Israeli embassy

    A soldier carries a riot shield away from police tape as several officers wearing vests over their uniforms stand nearby. A car with its boot open can be seen in front of the groupImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    One officers was seen carrying riot gear, though officials says the threat has now been contained

  6. Turkish authorities identify attackers and say officers not seriously injuredpublished at 12:28 BST

    Turkey's interior ministry has named the three gunmen involved in the shooting near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul. One gunman has been killed and two others "neutralised", officials say.

    In a statement on X, translated from Turkish, the ministry names the gunman killed as Yunus E.S, without providing further details. It says he was "connected to the terrorist organisation that exploits religion".

    It identifies the two injured attackers as Onur Ç and Enes Ç - who it says are brothers.

    The two police officers injured in the shooting are not in life-threatening conditions, the statement adds, with one shot in the leg and the other in the ear.

    "Intensive digital communication has been detected among the three neutralised terrorists, and the interrogation of the injured terrorists continues," it says.

  7. At least two dozen shots heard in under a minutepublished at 12:03 BST

    Gunfire can be heard ringing out in footage from the scene of the shooting in Istanbul.

    Two armed officers are seen crouching close to a police car in a car park, with one move forward forward and hiding behind vehicles as the firing continues.

    At least two dozen gunshots can be heard in less than a minute of footage.

    Media caption,

    Gunfire heard as police respond to Israeli consulate incident

  8. Israel's foreign ministry examining reports of shootingpublished at 12:02 BST

    The Israeli foreign ministry says it is examining reports of the gunfire near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.

    The statement confirms that at the time of the incident the consulate was not staffed.

  9. Three people tried to open gunfire, security shot back - witnesspublished at 12:01 BST
    Breaking

    An eyewitness tells Al Jazeera that "he was just smoking with his colleague, and three people came in a car, tried to open a gunfire, and then the security fired them back".

    The area around the Israeli consulate is densely populated with houses and business, the news outlet reports. , external

    They add the consulate is located on the seventh floor of a building.

  10. What we know, and don't know, so farpublished at 11:58 BST

    Armed police officers in IstanbulImage source, Reuters

    What we know:

    • Three gunmen were involved in a shooting near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, the Turkish interior minister says
    • One has been killed and two others "neutralised" with injuries, Istanbul's governor Davut Gül says - Turkish media earlier reported that at least two attackers were killed
    • Two police officers have been injured and an investigation launched
    • Armed police and ambulances are at the scene, which has been cordoned off
    • One suspect has "ties to an organisation that exploits religion" and two of the attackers are brothers, according to Turkey's interior minister. One has a "drug record"

    What we don't know

    • The condition of the injured police officers or the "neutralised" gunmen
    • Exactly who the gunmen are - though the interior minister says they have been identified

  11. A brazen attack in broad daylightpublished at 11:52 BST

    Orla Guerin
    Senior international correspondent, reporting from Istanbul

    If this was an attempted attack on an Israeli target, as Turkish media are reporting, then it was a brazen one in broad daylight.

    The governor of Istanbul says the attackers used rifles and pistols during a gunfight with police.

    No Israeli diplomatic personnel were in the consulate, which is located in a business district of Istanbul. And, as we've reported, there are no Israeli diplomats stationed in Turkey at the moment.

  12. Analysis

    High security amid Turkey's troubled relations with Israelpublished at 11:42 BST

    Paul Kirby
    Europe digital editor

    Israel has reduced its diplomatic services to a minimum in Turkey, and during the Jewish festival of Passover it was never going to be highly staffed.

    However, security is always high at Israel's missions in Ankara and Istanbul, so whoever was behind this attack it was unlikely to succeed.

    Turkey's diplomatic relations with Israel have deteriorated dramatically since the war in Gaza, and the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been outspoken in its criticism of Israel.

    Officials say there is no real relationship at all at the moment, although the two were close partners in the past and they continue to maintain security and intelligence links.

    Turkey has tried to avoid getting caught up in the US-Israeli war with Iran, but its territory has come under fire from Iranian drones. Nato air defences have shot down several drones and Ankara has condemned the incidents as unacceptable.

    Turkish police special forces outside the consulate a short time agoImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Turkish police special forces outside the consulate a short time ago

  13. One suspect has 'ties to an organisation that exploits religion' - ministerpublished at 11:31 BST
    Breaking

    Turkey's Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi says three people were involved in a shooting with police officers - here's his full statement, published on X. It has been translated from Turkish:

    "Three individuals who engaged in an armed clash with our police officers on duty in front of the Yapı Kredi Plaza Blocks in Istanbul have been neutralized.

    "In the clash, two of our heroic police officers sustained minor injuries. The identities of the terrorists have been identified.

    "It has been determined that the individuals, who arrived in Istanbul by a rental vehicle from Izmit, include one with ties to an organization that exploits religion; and it has also been established that one of the two terrorists, who are brothers, has a drug record."

  14. One attacker dead and two more 'neutralised' - city governorpublished at 11:25 BST
    Breaking

    Istanbul's governor Davut Gül says one attacker has been killed and two more have been "neutralised", according to a statement carried by CNN Turk.

    "An attack occurred against our police force. Two of our police officers were injured.

    "One of the terrorists was killed, and two others were neutralised with injuries.

    "This major attack was overcome with minimal damage thanks to the precautions taken by our police."

    Turkish media earlier reported that at least two attackers were killed - we'll bring you more details as we have them.

  15. Cordons, ambulance and armed police at scene of shootingpublished at 11:19 BST

    Man in bulletproof vest, presumed to be police, holding gunImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    A plainclothes police officer holds a gun near the scene of the shooting

    A cordon at the scene of a shooting incident.Image source, Reuters
    Police with guns and an ambulance at scene.Image source, Reuters
  16. No Israeli diplomats at consulate - sourcespublished at 11:17 BST
    Breaking

    There are no Israeli diplomats stationed in Turkey at the moment, either at the consulate in Istanbul or the embassy in Ankara, according to both Reuters and AFP news agencies.

  17. Investigation launched into Istanbul shootingpublished at 11:12 BST

    Turkey's justice ministry has confirmed it is investigating a shooting near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.

    We are still waiting for more information from police.

  18. First pictures show armed Turkish emergency services at the scenepublished at 11:12 BST
    Breaking

    Police at the scene after gunfire was heard near the building housing the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Turkish police are responding to the incident near to the Israeli consulate in Istanbul

    Turkish Police's special forces work at the scene, after gunfire.Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Turkish police's special forces are also at the scene

  19. Reports of shooting near Israeli consulate in Istanbulpublished at 11:06 BST
    Breaking

    A shooting has been reported near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

    Local media report three people have been killed and two police officers have been injured, but there has been no official confirmation.

    We're looking into these reports and will bring you more as we get it.