Policeman Shot Dead in Istanbul Attack

A Turkish policeman was shot dead and another was wounded after unknown assailants opened fire on the officers in Istanbul, the city's police chief said Saturday.

The attack occurred in the populous neighborhood of Gaziosmanpasa, located on the European side of Istanbul, police chief Huseyin Capkin told the Anatolia news agency.

Both victims were rushed to hospital, where one died and the other was still receiving treatment, the NTV news channel reported.

They were having lunch at a roadside restaurant when the assault took place, and witnesses reported seeing two attackers, a man and a woman, both dressed in black, according to NTV.

Police launched a hunt for the assailants, who fled the scene.

It was the second such incident in less than a week in Istanbul, after two gunmen opened fire on a police station with automatic weapons Wednesday. One of them was killed when police returned fire.

Several armed groups, including Kurdish rebels and radical leftists, have carried out attacks in Istanbul in the past. Police are a frequent target for left-wing splinter groups.