Teenager attacks eight schoolgirls with a knife in Istanbul; three critically injured
Attack occurred before 09:00 at an Imam Hatip primary school in Başakşehir; the attacker is a 15-year-old student from Küçükçekmece.
A teenage girl attacked eight schoolgirls with a knife at a primary school in the Başakşehir district of Istanbul on Tuesday morning, authorities said. The injured pupils were taken to hospital; three are reported to be in serious condition.
The incident happened shortly before 09:00 local time inside an Imam Hatip primary school, which provides extended religious education in Sunni Islam, Arabic language and the Qur’an. Other students were evacuated and classes were suspended at the site.
Local officials in Başakşehir reported that the attacker is a 15-year-old girl who attends a secondary school in the Küçükçekmece district. The motive for the attack has not been confirmed, but authorities say it is believed to have arisen from an argument among youths.
Investigation and media ban
An official investigation has been opened into the case. The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) announced a ban on publishing any journalistic material related to the incident until the probe is concluded.
Kemal Memişoğlu, Turkey’s health minister, said that three of the injured pupils are in serious condition. Hospitals continue to provide treatment and officials have not released further details about the victims’ identities.
Police continue to question witnesses and collect evidence as investigators work to establish the precise circumstances that led to the knife attack.
Photo: press material from the event
