Armed attack leaves 3 dead in Istanbul

At least three people have lost their lives in an armed attack in Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, police and medical sources have said.

According to a report released by the Today's Zaman daily, a former convict identified as Ugur C. attacked a vehicle and opened fire on its three occupants in Istanbul's populous Kadikoy district.

Erkan Bektas and Ahmet Aksu were killed on the spot, while Ismet Keskin suffered injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital in a critical condition. He later succumbed to death due to the wounds he had sustained in the lethal attack.

Police have cordoned off the area and launched a thorough investigation into the assault as the motive behind the attack remains unknown.

Turkey has seen armed attacks from a variety of groups in recent years.

The deadliest of such attacks took place in November 2003, when 58 people were killed by militants in suicide bombings outside two synagogues, the British consulate and a British bank in Istanbul.