INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Istanbul Restaurant Attack: Gunman Opens Fire At Istanbul Restaurant Leaving Two Dead

By Rahul Srinivas
Published on: 02:03 PST, Jan 30, 2017

Reports are coming in about one person being killed in a restaurant attack in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey. According to Russia Today, two others were reportedly injured in the attack. Initial reports suggested that the attack was not related to terrorism. This is, however, yet to be confirmed by Turkish officials.

At least one eyewitness posted an image of the restaurant where the attack happened. The restaurant is reportedly located in Istanbul’s Beykoz district. Fresh reports state that the attack has claimed the lives of two people. This, however, has not been confirmed. Details remain sketchy at this point.

Meanwhile, a local news channel reported that the incident was not an act of terror and that it was the result of personal enmity. According to the report, an individual at the restaurant happened to see a person who shot his father dead 12 years ago. In retaliation, he took out his gun and fired at the individual, who is also the same person who is thought to have died in the incident. However, the shooting also left several others injured. Several of the injured fell victim to stray bullets as a gunfight ensued between the two.

Turkish police have since then arrested the suspect. This article will be updated as more details emerge.

Incidentally, this Istanbul restaurant attack happened hours after the Inquisitr reported about another attack that happened at a Mosque in Quebec, Canada. At least six people were killed in the attack after three gunmen armed with automatic weapons opened fire at a group of Muslim worshippers offering prayers at the mosque. The attackers reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” before they started firing at unsuspecting worshippers.

Canadian police have reportedly arrested the attackers two of whom were identified as Mohamed Khadir and Alexandre Bissonnette. At least one of the attackers was identified as a Moroccan national. The attackers also seemed to have connections to Universite Laval, a school in Quebec where they were reportedly students. The motive behind the Quebec Mosque attack remains a mystery even now. The two attackers are expected to appear before a court later today. According to reports, one of the gunmen involved in the Mosque attack called 911 and turned himself in after the attack.

Meanwhile, this latest incident is the newest among a string of attacks that Turkey has witnessed over the past few months. In 2016 alone, there were several terrorist attacks in Turkey. The last major attack was reported earlier this month when a bloody attack that took place at the Reina nightclub left 39 people dead. Turkey has blamed the ISIS and Kurdish militants for carrying out these attacks. Just before the end of 2016, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov was assassinated by a Turkish police officer who shouted “Don’t forget Aleppo” as he pulled the trigger. The assassination happened at an art exhibition in the Turkish capital city of Ankara. Video footage of the dramatic killing was beamed across the world. After he fired the fatal bullets at Karlov, the gunman shouted in Turkish;

“Don’t forget Aleppo. Don’t forget Syria. Unless our towns are secure, you won’t enjoy security. Only death can take me from here. Everyone who is involved in this suffering will pay a price.”

Update: Hours after the attack, there is very little information about the attack. Local authorities have more or less confirmed that this was not an act of terrorism. While our earlier report said that the suspect was arrested, there are other reports which seem to indicate that the gunman is still at large.

[Featured Image By Emrah Gurel/AP Images]

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