POLICE KILL TWO ATTACKERS AFTER BLAST OUTSIDE COURT
ISTANBUL An apparent car bomb exploded near a courthouse in western Turkey on Thursday, killing at least two people and touching off a shootout with security forces, officials said. At least two suspected attackers were killed.
The violence in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir comes as Turkey expanded a manhunt for a gunmen who stormed a nightclub early Sunday and killed 39 people at a New Year’s event.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility in Thursday’s attack in central Izmir. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant proclaimed links to the nightclub assailant, but Turkey has also has faced repeated attacks from Kurdish separatists battling for greater autonomy.
The state- run Anadolu news agency said a policeman and courthouse official were killed in the blast. Police then shot dead two attackers and were seeking a third suspect, the report said. Video posted on social media carried sounds of sustained gunfire.
The Reuters news agency, citing hospital sources in Izmir, said at least 10 people had been treated for injuries.
The rampage on Sunday marked one of the worst mass killings in Turkey in recent memory. The country has been reeling from a steady stream of violence, including the assassination of the Russian ambassador last month and earlier bombings targeting police and tourist sites.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu gave no further details on the suspect’s identity but said the investigation was ongoing.