Islamic State group claims responsibility for shooting at Istanbul church

One man is dead after two attackers shot up the Church of Santa Maria in Istanbul’s Sariyer district on Sunday. The Islamic State group’s media outfit, Aamaq, released a statement on the attack, claiming the shooters “attacked a gathering of Christian unbelievers during their polytheistic ceremony.” Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the two accused shooters were caught after police raided 30 locations and detained other suspects with alleged ties to the shooting.

How did the shooting happen? Security footage shows two masked men entering the church shortly before noon. Authorities say they walked up behind 52-year-old Tuncer Cihan and shot him in the head. No other attendees were injured. Police said one of the attackers is from Russia, and the other is from Tajikistan. Turkey arrested 25 other alleged Islamic State group members accused of plotting attacks on churches earlier this year.

Dig deeper: Read A.S. Ibrahim’s column in WORLD Opinions about the tradition that motivates militant Islam.