Shootout in tourist area of ​​Istanbul
Three injured, killed the attacker

ISTANBUL – Shooting in the heart of Istanbul. A 36-year-old man, probably a Libyan who came to Turkey last Sunday, entered the historic Topkapi museum in Istanbul with a shotgun. At the cry of “Allah Akbar” (God is great), he began to shoot at people, wounding a soldier and a bodyguard. He then took refuge in a room of the museum, responding for about an hour to the blows of the police, who after a negotiation attempt opted for force, eventually killing the attacker. This is the reconstruction made by the Turkish authorities.

“It is a sad affair – Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arins told Anadolu agency – the man entered through the main door of Topkapi’s palace, holding a shotgun. He shot right and left, and he wounded two people, security forces neutralized him “.

The man had entered the area of ​​the building aboard a Syrian-branded car. According to interior minister Idris Naim Sahin, “he was not a Turkish citizen, he was a foreigner. He was born in 1975 and was a Libyan citizen. He entered Turkey on November 27th.” According to the Anadolu agency, the bomber was named Samir Salem Ali Elmadhavri.

The attack takes place concurrently with the Turkish announcement of the adoption of measures against the authoritarian regime of Syria, which in recent months has led to the death of thousands of protesters opposed to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The Turkish authorities nonetheless prefer various routes to arrive at the possible principals of today’s shooting at the prestigious Topkapi, a popular destination for international tourists.
(November 30, 2011)