Gunmen assault Izmir court following bomb blast

At least two people were killed as three gunmen attempted to storm the courthouse in Turkey's Izmir after a car bomb exploded outside the building's main entrance.

MENA

1 min read

Robert Cusack

05 January, 2017

Turkey - Izmir blast

At least two people have been killed and ten others injured in the Turkish city of Izmir after a car bomb exploded outside the city's courthouse on Thursday.

Police said they stopped a "suspicious" car which exploded after three gunmen fled the vehicle.

The attackers then attempted to gain access to the courthouse amid the chaos, but were repelled by armed police.

One court official and a police officer were killed, and the district mayor, Hasan Karadag, told NTV News another person had been critically injured.

Two gunmen, carrying AK47 automatic rifles, were shot dead outside the court in a gun battle with the police, while a third is reported to have escaped.

The police described the third suspect as wearing a black coat and a white beret.

Eight grenades and a number of automatic weapons were found in the vehicle.

The Turkish authorities placed a media blackout on the area surrounding the courthouse shortly after the explosion, as per their usual protocol.

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