'One citizen' confirmed dead in Italian church attack

Two assailants launched an armed attack on an Italian church in Istanbul during a religious ceremony on Sunday, leaving one person dead, Turkiye’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

The attack occurred at around 08:40 GMT at the Santa Maria church in the Sariyer district of Istanbul. An investigation had been launched to find the attackers who fled the scene after the shooting, the Interior Minister added. Local media reported that others were injured in the attack, but this was not immediately confirmed by the authorities.