Jan 28, 2024
Two masked gunmen have stormed a church in Istanbul during the Sunday service.
At least one person has been killed during the attack on the Santa Maria Church in the Sariyer district of the major Turkish city.
Eyewitnesses cited by local media said people in the church threw themselves to the ground to hide from the gunshots.
Pictures from inside the building show that dozens of people were attending the service at the time.
According to a statement from Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, the men opened fire at around 11.40am before fleeing the scene on foot.
He did not specify what kind of weapons were used or whether anyone else was injured.
Masked gunmen storm Istanbul church shooting dead at least one person
An investigation is under way and authorities are working on capturing the two assailants, Mr Yerlikaya said.
The minister identified the victim only by their initials, as C.T. Turkish officials tend to not use the full names of victims or perpetrators of attacks.
‘C.T., who was among those participating in the service, was the target of the gun attack by two masked individuals and sadly lost his life,’ the statement said.
It was not immediately clear why the victim was targeted.
Footage from outside the church showed several police cars and an ambulance outside the building.
Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, condemned the attack in a statement on X and indicated that multiple others were injured.
He added: ‘We will never allow those who try to destroy our unity and peace by attacking the religious places of our city.’
– metro
