Al Qaeda responsible for attack on US Istanbul consulate, three Turkish police deaths

Three Turkish policemen and three gunmen died in a shootout at the entrance to the US consulate in Istanbul Wednesday, July 9. Three terrorists, identified by Istanbul police as Turkish members of al Qaeda, were killed after failing to break through to the consulate. The terrorists pulled up in a white car and opened fire on the consulate’s police post. Police fired back, resulting in a three- to five-minute gun battle. The fourth terrorist who drove the car fled.
In a separate attack in E. Turkey, three German tourists were kidnapped by Kurdish (PKK) rebels, the local governor reported. They were part of a 13-member on a climbing expedition on Mount Ararat in Agri province.
The PKK rarely attacks tourists, focusing mainly on guerilla operations against military targets in southeast Turkey.