Turkish police shot and killed a man and a woman from the leftist group Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) after they attacked a security checkpoint at Istanbul’s main courthouse, injuring six people. The group has not claimed responsibility for the attack. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the assailants’ affiliation with the DHKP-C and stated that six people, including three police officers and three civilians, were injured in the attack. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc praised the police for preventing the attack and announced a multi-faceted investigation into the incident.
The scene outside the Caglayan courthouse showed the bodies of the attackers on the ground, and the area was sealed off by the police as a security measure. Pakistan condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Turkiye in the fight against terrorism. Turkiye has experienced a decrease in violent incidents linked to jihadist fighters and Kurdish militants, but both Istanbul and Ankara remain on high alert.
The DHKP-C has a history of attacks, including a suicide bombing of the US embassy in Ankara in 2013. The group is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. Turkiye has responded to attacks by stepping up air strikes against Kurdish targets in Syria and Iraq.