IS claims attack on Catholic church in Istanbul that killed one parishioner

I did say jihad attack even if the MO had a look of a gang target. From the Telegraph

The Islamic State group said it carried out a gun attack on a Roman Catholic Italian church in Istanbul during Sunday mass, killing one parishioner.

Turkish officials said it appeared to have been a targeted attack against one individual, rather than against the Catholic church

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the shooting later on Sunday, saying it was in response to a call by the group’s leaders to target Jews and Christians.

Interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Sunday evening that two murder suspects had been apprehended, without saying what the motive for the attack was or who had carried it out.

Davut Gul, the governor of Istanbul, said in televised remarks at the scene of the attack that the victim was a 52-year-old Turkish citizen and that no other people had been injured.

The victim’s nephew identified the man killed as Tuncer Cihan, the Associated Press reported.

“He was a mentally disabled individual who had no connection to politics or [criminal] organisations. He went there on an invitation and was a victim of fate,” Cagin Cihan said, noting that the target was the church and not his uncle, and dismissing reports of a targeted attack.

The Al Arabiya news outlet has some details of the arrests tonight

Turkish authorities have captured two gunmen who shot one person dead on Sunday during a service at a church in Istanbul and who are believed to be tied to ISIS, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

Speaking to reporters later, Yerlikaya said authorities had carried out raids on more than 30 locations across Istanbul and detained 47 people until now. The suspects were captured in one of the last raids, he said.

“Both of the suspects are foreign nationals. One of them is from Tajikistan and the other is Russian, and we evaluated them to be with Islamic State,” Yerlikaya said, adding they would be questioned about the attack.

President Tayyip Erdogan called the church’s priest to offer his condolences and support, his office said, publishing a video of the call. Pope Francis conveyed his condolences over the attack after his weekly Angelus prayer.