Police shoot dead two ‘terrorists’ outside Istanbul court

ISTANBUL: Turkish police on Tuesday shot dead a man and a woman belonging to a leftist “terrorist” organisation who attacked a security checkpoint outside Istanbul´s main courthouse, injuring six people, officials said.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the assailants were members of the Revolutionary People´s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) -- a fringe leftist group that has staged periodic attacks in Turkey since the 1980s.

The group issued no initial claim of responsibility.

“While the terrorists who attempted to attack were neutralised, six people, including three police officers and three citizens, were injured,” Yerlikaya said in a social media statement.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said “heroic police officers prevented a treacherous attack”, adding that prosecutors had launched a “multi-faceted investigation”.

Images from the scene showed two bodies lying on the ground outside the main entrance of the Caglayan courthouse, which has been used for some of Turkiye´s biggest trials.

Meanwhile, Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attack targeting the Courthouse complex in Istanbul.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the brotherly people and government of Turkiye and pray for the swift and complete recovery of those injured in this heinous attack. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families,” stated the Foreign Office spokesperson in an official statement.