Attack outside US consulate in Turkey, 6 dead

At least one of the attackers opened fire at the post near the consulate's main entrance at about 11 a.m., a U.S. embassy spokeswoman said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

There were no reports of casualties among American consulate employees, she said.

"There is no doubt that this is a terrorist attack," Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler said.

Three policemen "were martyred" and three attackers were killed, he said. Police were pursuing a fourth attacker who reportedly escaped in a van.

Guler said two of the attackers were Turkish nationals. A policeman and a tow-truck driver were also injured, he said.

Istanbul prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin said the attackers were armed with pistols and shotguns. Forensic teams were seen examining a shotgun on the ground.

The attack occurred right outside the high-walled consulate compound in Istanbul's Istinye district. Television footage showed four people lying on the ground at the foot of the consulate's wall before officials removed the bodies.

Yavuz Erkut Yuksel, a bystander, told CNN-Turk television the attackers emerged from a white vehicle and surprised a guard.

"One of them approached a policeman while hiding his gun and shot him in the head," Yuksel said.