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Three Turkish policemen have been killed and two others injured after assailants opened fire in front of the US consulate in Istanbul, the local governor and media reports say.
Three of the attackers were killed in the gunfight, while a fourth man escaped from the scene.
"The 20- to 25-year old attackers used pump-action shotguns and handguns in the attack," Aykut Cengiz Engin, chief prosecutor of Istanbul, said on Wednesday.
Ross Wilson, the US ambassador to Turkey said the attack was "an obvious act of terrorism" aimed at his country.
Attacker fled
"Three policemen were martyred and three attackers were killed," Muammer Guler, Istanbul's governor, told reporters at the scene.
Hoda Abdel-Hamid, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Istanbul, said the attackers jumped out of a white Renault car as it pulled close to the US consulate and opened fire.
They were killed when police returned the fire.
The driver of the car fled after the gunfight which lasted seven minutes.
Abdel-Hamid said: "There are several [local news] reports that say that three of the attackers were Turkish nationals and... have been to Afghanistan at some point. One of them [may be from] south east Turkey.
"However, I have to be very cautious about this as they have not been confirmed either by the prosecutor or the police at this stage.
"The fourth attacker managed to flee the scene in his car... from what we understand the car has been located in a neighbourhood about seven to eight kilometres away from where the US consulate is located. However, this also has not been confirmed."
Wounded treated
Television footage of the attack showed four people lying on the ground at the foot of the consulate's wall. Medics were seen trying to help one of them.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
A US embassy spokeswoman in Ankara said there were no reports of casualties among American consulate employees.
"At about 11am, at least one assailant opened fire on the Turkish police guardpost area near the main entrance to the consulate," she said, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter.
"We are co-operating with the police and taking appropriate measures," she said.
An hour after the attack in Istanbul occured, it was reported that three German tourists had been kidnapped in eastern Turkey.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Television footage showed four people lying on the ground next to the consulate's wall [AFP]
Al-Jazeera
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