A series of armed attacks occurred in the Afyonkarahisar province of western Turkey, resulting in the deaths of eight people and injuries to several others. The attacks took place in three separate locations within the Ihsaniye district, with the gunman fleeing the scene. Turkish security forces have launched a massive manhunt for the suspect, with a wide-scale security deployment extending to neighboring provinces.
According to Turkish media reports, the attacks occurred in the villages of Yukari Tandır, Ayazın, and Kayır, all within the Ihsaniye district. The victims' bodies were found inside cars and in the surrounding areas. Initial investigations revealed that the suspect moved between the three locations, shooting his victims before stealing a car and escaping. Security forces have identified the suspect and distributed his image to police and gendarmerie units.
The attacks began with a report to the Turkish emergency center at 3:10 pm local time, stating that three people had been killed inside a car in the Ayazın village. Further investigations revealed additional attacks in Yukari Tandır, where one person was killed and another seriously injured, later dying in hospital. Three victims were found inside a car in Ayazın, two in a car in Kayır, and a third body was discovered about a kilometer from the car.
A total of six people died at the attack sites, with two more succumbing to their injuries in hospital, bringing the overall death toll to eight. The suspect stole a light commercial red car after abandoning his initial vehicle and fled towards the Kütahya province. Security estimates suggested he was heading towards the Sivrihisar district in the Eskişehir province.
The stolen red car was later found stuck in mud in a rural area of Taşlık village, Sivrihisar district, after the suspect abandoned it and escaped on foot. This prompted security forces to expand their search and combing operations. Police and gendarmerie units have established a security cordon around the area, closing village entrances and exits, as well as surrounding roads.
The search operation involves armed and equipped teams wearing bulletproof vests, alongside drones used to scan rural areas and surrounding lands. Authorities are also investigating a separate incident where a woman was shot and seriously injured in a car in the Osman Gazi neighborhood of Afyonkarahisar province, but no conclusive results have been announced regarding its connection to the attacks.
The motives behind the attacks and the relationship between the suspect and the victims remain unclear, with investigations and security efforts ongoing to apprehend the suspect.
Key points
- The gunman is still at large after a massive security operation was launched.
- Eight people were killed and several others injured in the attacks.
- Authorities are investigating possible links between the suspect and additional crimes.
