Four held in consulate attack

ISTANBUL – Authorities detained four suspects yesterday in connection with the attack on the United States consulate in Istanbul that ignited a firefight leaving three policemen and three assailants dead.

Police and Turkey’s intelligence agency also were investigating whether one of the slain gunmen had any relationship with al Qaeda when he visited Afghanistan. Police suspect the attackers had ties to al Qaeda but so far say they have no actual proof.Interior Minister Besir Atalay said yesterday that four people were in custody.One of the attackers escaped in a getaway car, but it was not immediately clear if he was among the four detained.Erkan Kargin, one of the three attackers killed by police outside the consulate, had travelled previously to Afghanistan, according to a government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.Dozens of militants from Turkey have had military training in al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and some also fought and died in al Qaeda ranks in Iraq, Turkish officials say.Wednesday’s attack came less than five years after local Islamic militants, loosely connected to al Qaeda, killed 58 people in four suicide bombings against two synagogues, the British consulate and the local headquarters of HSBC bank.”There is nothing more sensational than attacking the US consulate for an Islamic militant,” said Emin Demirel, a Turkish terrorism expert and author of a book titled ‘Al-Qaida Elements in Turkey’.”However, this attack certainly lacks the sophisticated hallmarks of al Qaeda.”Three gunmen were killed by police at the scene and a fourth attacker used a runaway car to escape, not the usual al Qaeda tactics of suicide bombings and mass civilian casualties.The attack prompted Turkey to increase security at all US diplomatic missions in the country.Nampa-APPolice suspect the attackers had ties to al Qaeda but so far say they have no actual proof.Interior Minister Besir Atalay said yesterday that four people were in custody.One of the attackers escaped in a getaway car, but it was not immediately clear if he was among the four detained.Erkan Kargin, one of the three attackers killed by police outside the consulate, had travelled previously to Afghanistan, according to a government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.Dozens of militants from Turkey have had military training in al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and some also fought and died in al Qaeda ranks in Iraq, Turkish officials say.Wednesday’s attack came less than five years after local Islamic militants, loosely connected to al Qaeda, killed 58 people in four suicide bombings against two synagogues, the British consulate and the local headquarters of HSBC bank.”There is nothing more sensational than attacking the US consulate for an Islamic militant,” said Emin Demirel, a Turkish terrorism expert and author of a book titled ‘Al-Qaida Elements in Turkey’.”However, this attack certainly lacks the sophisticated hallmarks of al Qaeda.”Three gunmen were killed by police at the scene and a fourth attacker used a runaway car to escape, not the usual al Qaeda tactics of suicide bombings and mass civilian casualties.The attack prompted Turkey to increase security at all US diplomatic missions in the country.Nampa-AP