Ankara, Turkey
Reuters
Turkish authorities have captured two gunmen who shot one person dead on Sunday during a service at a church in Istanbul and who are believed to be tied to Islamic State, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
Yerlikaya had earlier said that the attack, which Ankara condemned, took place around 0840 GMT at the Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul’s Sariyer district, and that one Turkish citizen – who was targeted by the gunmen – was killed while attending the service.
People react during a deadly attack by two masked gunmen at the Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul, Turkey, on 28th January, 2024, in this screenshot taken from CCTV video obtained by Reuters
Speaking to reporters later, Yerlikaya said authorities had carried out raids on more than 30 locations across Istanbul and detained 47 people until now. The suspects were captured in one of the last raids, he said.
“Both of the suspects are foreign nationals. One of them is from Tajikistan and the other is Russian, and we evaluated them to be with Islamic State,” Yerlikaya said, adding they would be questioned about the attack.
Earlier, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Telegram, saying it was in response to a call by the group’s leaders to target Jews and Christians.
CCTV footage from inside of the church, verified by Reuters, showed the masked gunmen entering the building and shooting the man who was walking in front of them. The CCTV footage shows the men leaving almost immediately afterwards.
President Tayyip Erdogan called the church’s priest to offer his condolences and support, his office said, publishing a video of the call.
Pope Francis conveyed his condolences over the attack after his weekly Angelus prayer.
“I express my closeness to the community of Saint Mary Draperis Church in Istanbul that suffered an armed attack during mass that caused one death,” he said.
Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni said on X that Italy’s foreign ministry was following updates on the “despicable act” and condemned it.
Islamic State has conducted numerous attacks across Turkey, including on a nightclub in Istanbul on Jan. 1, 2017, in which 39 people were killed.
Yerlikaya said Turkish authorities had detained 2,086 people suspected of ties to Islamic State during 1,046 operations since June 2023, and that 529 people had been arrested.
– Additional reporting by ANGELO AMANTE in Rome, Italy; and AHMED TOLBA and HATEM MAHER in Cairo, Egypt
