Turkish Authorities Detain 34 People After Terrorist Attacks In Istanbul Court

Illustration. (Pixabay/4711018)

JAKARTA - Turkish authorities arrested 34 people after an armed attack in Istanbul's court on Tuesday, calling it a Marxist organization.

A civilian was killed and six others injured, when left-wing militants opened fire at a police checkpoint in front of a court building in Istanbul, an incident local authorities called an attempted terrorist attack.

"The two terrorists were paralyzed by our police officers on duty before they reached their despicable destination," President Tayyip Erdogan said at an event in Kahramanmaras Province.

The attack footage shows two shooters firing into a court building checkpoint surrounded by civilians. The video shows one of the shooters being killed while civilians are fleeing, and the other shot dead by police behind an iron gate shortly thereafter.

An eyewitness named Banu Polat said the attack first took place inside the court building, but authorities have not confirmed this or provided further details regarding the incident.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said police had killed two shooters, which he said were believed to be members of the DHKP-C group. Yerlikaya described the incident at the Caglayan Court Building as a "trial of terror attacks".

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc told reporters that about 34 people had been detained, without providing further details.

He said the three police officers who were injured were in good condition. Meanwhile, one of the four injured civilians died in hospital, he added.

It is known, DHKP-C, the Revolutionary People's Liberation Army Front, is a banned Marxist organization considered a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, and Turkey.

The group is accused of being responsible for a series of suicide attacks and bombings in Turkey since 1990. Authorities have carried out several operations against the group over the years, detaining and killing dozens of its members.

Last month, ISIS armed groups carried out an attack on a church in Istanbul during Sunday Mass, causing one person to die. Authorities have since arrested several people suspected of being linked to the group or attack.