Breaking news. Two gunmen killed in shooting incident near Israeli consulate in Istanbul

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Turkish police shot dead two attackers and wounded a third during a gunfight outside a building housing the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, Turkish media reported.

Two police officers were wounded in the clash, which erupted around midday in the Levent district, according to Turkish state broadcaster TRT.

Turkish security forces “neutralised” three individuals at the scene, with two killed and one wounded, domestic media reported. The term “neutralised” is commonly used by Turkish authorities to mean killed or captured.

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an immediate investigation into the incident. A deputy chief public prosecutor and two prosecutors were assigned to the case and went to the scene, according to Gürlek’s statement.

Police closed Büyükdere Street, where the consulate is located, to traffic following the incident.

Journalist Tamer Oskay, speaking on CNN Turk, said Istanbul police had taken precautions days in advance against a possible attack. According to Oskay, the three attackers aimed to reach the seventh-floor office of the consulate in a plaza building about half an hour before the shooting.

Security guards and police at the entrance became aware of the situation, Oskay said. Two of the attackers carried long-barreled weapons, according to preliminary information.

A clash erupted after police responded to the attackers’ refusal to stop, Oskay said.

Authorities said a comprehensive investigation is being carried out with law enforcement units under the coordination of the chief public prosecutor’s office.

It remains unclear whether the incident was a planned attack on the consulate or an isolated incident.

Turkey and Israel have had strained relations, particularly following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in October 2023. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been a vocal critic of Israeli military operations in the Strip.