ISTANBUL
An unidentified woman attacker carrying a machine gun opened fire Friday on a police post in one of Istanbul's most popular districts.
The attack occurred around at 2:40 pm (1240 GMT) near central Taksim square. No injuries or casualties have been reported but a police car has been damaged.
Sources report that the attacker escaped on foot, leaving her scarf and bag at the incident site. Some eyewitnesses have said that the attacker is between 25 and 30 years old.
The gun, which is thought to have been used during the attack, has been found in a street near the incident area. Security forces also carried out a controlled explosion on a suspect device near the site.
The motive behind the attack is not yet clear. Police are searching for the attacker.
On Jan. 6, a woman blew herself up in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district, killing a police officer. Another police officer was wounded.
Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala said at the time that the suicide bomber had been identified but refrained from naming the perpetrator.
