Turkey: 1 killed as armed assailants attack Italian church in Istanbul

During a religious service on Sunday, two men opened fire on an Italian church in Istanbul, killing one person, according to Turkey's interior minister.

Two masked individuals carried out the attack at the Santa Maria church in Istanbul's Sariyer district at approximately 11:40 (0840 GMT), according to posts made by Ali Yerlikaya on social media.

He also mentioned that an inquiry had been started.

Police and an ambulance were visible outside the elaborate church in television footage.

The pastor announced that one of the people in attendance at the service on Sunday, CT, had passed away as a result of the armed assault.

"We strongly condemn this vile attack," Yerlikaya told the media.

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The attack's motivation was not immediately apparent.

32 people were seized by Turkish security authorities in December on suspicion of having connections to IS militants who were preparing assaults against Iraqi embassies, churches, and synagogues.

Extremists from IS have attacked Turkey on multiple occasions, most notably in 2017, when they stormed an Istanbul nightclub, killing 39 people.

(With agency inputs)