Izmir (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Monday, at a police station near Izmir, a Turkish resort city, a masked teenager attacked the police station with deadly consequences. Reports say that two police officers were killed, and a third was critically injured.
According to private NTV television and the DHA news agency, the perpetrator of the attack was a 16-year-old teenager and was arrested at the scene in Izmir province, Balcova district.
What happened during the armed attack in Izmir?
In the Balcova district of Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, at least six additional individuals, including police officers, were injured. Izmir chief prosecutor Ali Yeldan stated at the scene that the assailant was arrested and the motive was being investigated.
According to private broadcaster NTV, the teenager carried out the attack just days after being released from custody, allegedly as retaliation for mistreatment at the police station. NTV and other outlets reported that he used a pump-action shotgun during the assault.
How have Kurdish militants and other groups targeted Turkey before?
In the past, Turkey has faced attacks from Kurdish militants, Islamist groups, and far-left organisations, with security forces and government institutions frequently targeted. Kurdish militants, primarily the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), have waged a long-standing insurgency against the Turkish state, focusing on security forces and government institutions. The PKK is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and many international entities.
What past attacks has Izmir experienced against state institutions?
Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city on the Aegean coast, has experienced militant attacks before, such as the 2017 car bombing outside a courthouse that killed two people. A militant assault occurred on January 5, 2017, which involved a car bomb detonation outside a courthouse in the Bayraklı district, killing two people, including a police officer named Fethi Sekin, who heroically intervened and prevented the attackers from reaching the courthouse and a courthouse worker.
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