Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Attack On Catholic Church In Istanbul

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack that killed one person during Sunday, January 28, Mass at a Roman Catholic church in Istanbul.

The extremist group said in a statement on Sunday night that it “attacked a gathering of Christian unbelievers during their polytheistic ceremony” inside the Santa Maria Church in the Buyukdere neighbourhood of Turkey’s largest city.

Two men, one from Russia and one from Tajikistan who are believed to be members of Islamic State, have been arrested, Turkey’s interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said last night.

The statement claiming responsibility for the attack was published on Aamaq, the media arm of the militant group, along with photos of two masked men holding guns that were identified as the attackers.

Islamic State said the attackers wounded another person but Turkish authorities said no one was injured other than the person who was killed.

Mr Yerlikaya said police raided 30 locations and detained suspects with alleged links to the shooting.

“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,” he said. (SkyNews)