Armed men open fire on police outside US consulate in Istanbul

Source: Agencies  |   2008-7-9  |     ONLINE EDITION

An unidentified man lies on the ground lifeless after an attack outside of the US Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey today. Armed men killed at least two policemen outside the US consulate in Istanbul before fleeing in a vehicle, reports said. There are conflicting reports about how many assailants were involved, but one attacker is reported killed. More in photo gallery

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AT least one gunman fired on a Turkish guardpost outside the US consulate in Istanbul today, an American Embassy spokeswoman said.

The governor of Istanbul said three attackers and three policemen were killed.

Television footage showed four people lying on the ground at the foot of the consulate's high wall. Medics were seen giving a heart massage to one of them.

There were conflicting reports about how many assailants were involved in the attack in Istinye district.

The US Embassy spokeswoman said no casualties were reported among American consulate employees.

"At about 11 a.m., at least one assailant opened fire on the Turkish police guard post area near the main entrance to the consulate," said the spokeswoman, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

"We're cooperating with the police and taking the appropriate measures," she said.

News reports said that armed men fled in a vehicle and that one attacker was reported killed.

Yavuz Erkut Yuksel, a witness, told CNN-Turk television that the attackers emerged from a white vehicle.

"One of them approached a policeman while hiding his gun and shot him in the head," Yuksel said.

Ercan Ozgul, a doctor at the Istinye hospital, said two police officers died in hospital.

Two other people, a policeman and a driver, injured in the attack were being treated, and were not in life threatening danger, Ozgul said.

The secure US consulate building was built after homegrown Islamic militants linked to al-Qaida carried out suicide bombings that targeted two synagogues, the British Consulate and a British bank in Istanbul in 2003 and killed 58 people.