Armed man shot dead in gunfight near palace
Source: Agencies |
December 1, 2011, Thursday
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A LIBYAN gunman opened fire near one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions yesterday, wounding a Turkish soldier and a security guard before police snipers killed him, officials said.
The motive for the assault at Topkapi Palace is not known. Police said the man entered Turkey three days ago, adding that he arrived at the scene of the attack in a car bearing Syrian license plates.
Minutes before the attack, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had announced tough economic sanctions against Syria over its crackdown on an uprising. Turkey also supported the uprising against Moammar Gadhafi.
Multiple gunshots were heard from behind the high walls of the Topkapi Palace before the attacker was killed. Some tourists threw themselves on the ground, officials and witnesses said.
Topkapi Palace, the seat of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years, is in the city's historic Sultanahmet district, which includes the Blue Mosque and the former Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia.
The palace, including ornate courtyards, gilded treasures and dozens of rooms that once housed harems, attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Witnesses said the man shot the soldier in the leg and the guard in the abdomen before running into the palace courtyard through the main gate, chanting in Arabic "God is great."
Istanbul's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, said the wounded are not in life-threatening condition. He said the gunman made no demands and police shot him when he refused to surrender.
Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin said the attacker had entered Turkey on Sunday. The state-run Anadolu Agency, citing authorities, identified him as 36-year-old Samir Salem Ali Elmadhavri. Sahin said it is not known if the attacker was affiliated with any groups or organizations in Libya or Syria.
A spokesman for Libya's National Transition Council, Jalal el-Galal, said authorities in Tripoli have no information about him.
The man was seen at an outdoor cafe in the area before the attack, witnesses said. Idris Cengiz said: "I saw the man carrying a gun on his shoulder, like a hunter. He had ammunition around his neck and a backpack.
"His overcoat was buttoned. I could not see what was underneath. He was coming toward us and my friend said he looked like a hunter so I asked him in English, 'Are you a hunter?' He said something in Arabic, then he said, 'Allahu akbar' (God is great)."
Cengiz said he and his friend heard the gunshots moments later. "We ran and saw a soldier and a security guard lying on the ground," he said.
Dutch tourist Yeuonne Alkemade said: "I am not afraid because this kind of thing can happen anywhere these days, even in Amsterdam where I live. I am sad for Turkey and Istanbul because this is one of the top tourist attractions here."
No tourists were hurt in the attack.
The motive for the assault at Topkapi Palace is not known. Police said the man entered Turkey three days ago, adding that he arrived at the scene of the attack in a car bearing Syrian license plates.
Minutes before the attack, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had announced tough economic sanctions against Syria over its crackdown on an uprising. Turkey also supported the uprising against Moammar Gadhafi.
Multiple gunshots were heard from behind the high walls of the Topkapi Palace before the attacker was killed. Some tourists threw themselves on the ground, officials and witnesses said.
Topkapi Palace, the seat of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years, is in the city's historic Sultanahmet district, which includes the Blue Mosque and the former Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia.
The palace, including ornate courtyards, gilded treasures and dozens of rooms that once housed harems, attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Witnesses said the man shot the soldier in the leg and the guard in the abdomen before running into the palace courtyard through the main gate, chanting in Arabic "God is great."
Istanbul's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, said the wounded are not in life-threatening condition. He said the gunman made no demands and police shot him when he refused to surrender.
Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin said the attacker had entered Turkey on Sunday. The state-run Anadolu Agency, citing authorities, identified him as 36-year-old Samir Salem Ali Elmadhavri. Sahin said it is not known if the attacker was affiliated with any groups or organizations in Libya or Syria.
A spokesman for Libya's National Transition Council, Jalal el-Galal, said authorities in Tripoli have no information about him.
The man was seen at an outdoor cafe in the area before the attack, witnesses said. Idris Cengiz said: "I saw the man carrying a gun on his shoulder, like a hunter. He had ammunition around his neck and a backpack.
"His overcoat was buttoned. I could not see what was underneath. He was coming toward us and my friend said he looked like a hunter so I asked him in English, 'Are you a hunter?' He said something in Arabic, then he said, 'Allahu akbar' (God is great)."
Cengiz said he and his friend heard the gunshots moments later. "We ran and saw a soldier and a security guard lying on the ground," he said.
Dutch tourist Yeuonne Alkemade said: "I am not afraid because this kind of thing can happen anywhere these days, even in Amsterdam where I live. I am sad for Turkey and Istanbul because this is one of the top tourist attractions here."
No tourists were hurt in the attack.
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