Three persons died while two policemen were injured in a shooting incident near the Israel consulate in Turkey's Istanbul on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing Turkish media.
Visuals shared by Reuters showed a police officer pulling out a gun and taking cover as gunshots resounded. One person was seen covered in blood.
Another video, purportedly of the scene, also captured gunfire-like sounds and people screaming in the backdrop.
The Israeli consulate in Istanbul is generally surrounded by heavy security.
According to Turkey’s Haberturk broadcaster the attackers were carrying long-barreled weapons. There was no immediate information on the identity of the attackers or their motive.
Turkey's justice minister Akin Gurlek said an investigation has been launched, Associated Press reported, citing Haberturk. The consulate reportedly occupies one or two floors inside the high-rise building.
No Israeli diplomat "is currently in Turkish territory", a source close to the case told AFP news agency.
The shooting comes amid Israeli-US missile and drone exchange with Iran that has rattled the entire Gulf region and sent ripple affects across the world through the impact on energy supplies.
US-Israeli strikes on February 28 on Iran sparked the full-fledged war which US President Donald Trump now wants to end and has given the Iranians a deadline of “Tuesday 8 PM Eastern Time” to do so.
