Gunman Killed After Attacking Istanbul Police Station

Istanbul police shot dead one of the two gunmen who opened fire with automatic weapons and threw a grenade at a police station late Tuesday, Anatolia news agency reported.

The two unidentified assailants attacked the police station at Istinye on the European shore of Istanbul and a police officer returned fire, killing one of them, Anatolia said.

"First they fired with an automatic weapon, and then the other assailant threw a hand grenade," Istanbul police chief Huseyin Capkin was quoted as saying by Anatolia on Wednesday.

"Our duty officer rendered one of the individuals ineffective," he said, a term used by Turkey's security forces to refer to deaths.

The injured assailant was taken to a private hospital where he died, said Anatolia, adding that the other man ran away.

Police launched a hunt for the man who fled.

Police also found a suspicious package near the same station at Istinye which contained a bomb, Anatolia said. Capkin said the incident was an "act of terrorism," but did not elaborate on its perpetrators.

Several armed groups including Kurdish rebels and far-left organizations, have carried out attacks in Istanbul in the past. Police are particularly a usual target for left-wing splinter groups.