Turkey: Man shot while forcing way into Israeli embassy

A man was shot and wounded on Wednesday by a local security guard as he attempted to force his way into Israel’s embassy in Ankara, Turkey, while carrying a knife.

The attacker, 38, sustained light wounds to his leg and was arrested.

According to reports, he attacked the guard while shouting “Allahu Akbar” [“God is great” in Arabic] during the attack, a phrase frequently shouted by Muslim terrorists.

None of the Israeli staff was harmed in the incident.

Emmanuel Nahshon, spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, stated that the incident was “an attempted assault near the Israeli embassy in Ankara. The attacker was wounded before he reached the embassy.”

Photos from the scene show bomb sappers dismantling a suspicious object or satchel.

Turkey’s media reports said the man walked past the embassy building several times, raising suspicion, before trying to enter the building.

Turkish police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Israel’s embassy in Turkey has been the target of previous attacks, although none of them with significant results.

In August, five Turkish rioters were arrested after trying to break into the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.

This attack occurred a day after Israel released a travel advisory ahead of the Jewish New Year holidays warning Israelis against pending attacks in Turkey. Turkey is still a favorite vacation destination for Israelis, despite the instability and multiple attacks the country has recently experienced.

In March, three Israel vacationers were killed by an Islamic State (ISIS) suicide bomber in an attack in Istanbul.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

AnkaraIsraeli EmbassyTerrorismTurkey