In a shocking incident during a Sunday service, two masked gunmen targeted a Catholic church in Istanbul, with reports identifying them as members of the Islamic State hailing from Russia and Tajikistan. Tragically, at least one person lost their life during the assault on the Santa Maria Church in the Sariyer district of Istanbul.

The assailants launched their attack around 11:40 AM, opening fire inside the church before making a swift escape on foot. Authorities later managed to apprehend them after spotting them on CCTV footage, still wearing black balaclavas over their faces.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, during a press conference, confirmed their affiliation with the extremist organisation, revealing that one of the suspects is from Tajikistan and the other from Russia. If these affiliations are verified, this would mark the group’s first deadly attack on Turkish soil in seven years.

Yerlikaya also announced that as part of the investigation into the attack, police had conducted raids at 30 locations and detained 47 individuals. He emphasised, “We will never tolerate those who try to disrupt the peace of our country – terrorists, their collaborators, both national and international criminal groups, and those who aim at our unity and solidarity.”

Disturbing footage circulating on social media appears to capture the moment of the assault, with the masked gunmen entering the church and opening fire. Eyewitnesses, as reported by local media, described how congregants inside the church threw themselves to the ground in an attempt to seek shelter from the gunfire.

Inside the church, dozens of people were attending the service at the time of the attack, though authorities did not specify the type of weapons used. The victim was identified by their initials as C.T., following the Turkish officials’ practice of not disclosing full names of victims or attackers.

The statement released by officials read, “C.T., who was among those participating in the service, was the target of the gun attack by two masked individuals and sadly lost his life.” The motive behind targeting this particular individual remained unclear at the time.

Outside the church, multiple police cars and an ambulance could be seen in response to the incident. Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, vehemently condemned the attack in a statement, suggesting that several others were injured. He added, “We will never allow those who try to destroy our unity and peace by attacking the religious places of our city.”