ISTANBUL: An attacker, expressing protest against US support for Israel’s military aggression in Gaza, took several people hostage on Thursday at a multinational company plant near Istanbul, AFP reported, citing a police spokesman. The incident occurred at the facility situated on the eastern outskirts of Turkey’s largest city, with details about the number of hostages still unclear.
The company’s plant near Istanbul fell victim to an armed assailant on Thursday, leading to the hostage-taking of an undisclosed number of people, Turkish media reported.
Images from the incident scene showed the police establishing a cordon around the facility known for primarily manufacturing cosmetics, AFP reported.
A union representing workers at the plant said that the assailant is holding seven people hostage, while the rest of the workers have been released. A widely circulated photo online showed the alleged assailant holding a gun, with what appeared to be a suicide vest strapped to his chest, AFP reported.
Special operation forces and medical personnel were immediately rushed to the scene in response to the hostage situation, as reported by the DHA news agency.
Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza reported that at least 27,019 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing relentless Israeli strikes in Gaza since October 7. Furthermore, 66,139 persons have been wounded since the conflict erupted on October 7.
