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A 15-year-old student stabbed eight pupils at a secondary school in Istanbul’s Başakşehir district on Tuesday morning, killing one, Turkish officials said.
The attacker disguised herself in the uniform of the school she targeted before carrying out the attack at Şeyh Şamil Imam Hatip Secondary School in Istanbul’s Başakşehir district, Education Minister Yusuf Tekin said.
The attack took place at around 8:35 am local time (7:35 am CEST), according to the district governor. Authorities apprehended the suspect, identified as a 15-year-old 10th-grade student at a different institution.
Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said eight students were injured, one critically and two in a moderate-to-serious condition.
“The treatment of our eight wounded … is continuing in our hospitals, and we are closely monitoring their health status,” he said. One student subsequently died, Tekin confirmed.
Classes at the school were suspended for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Istanbul’s 3rd Criminal Court of Peace imposed a broadcasting ban on coverage of the incident, with Turkey’s media regulator RTÜK citing the need to protect the investigation and “ensure the arrest of suspects”.
Imam hatip schools are state-funded religious secondary schools originally established to train imams and prayer leaders.
Under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government, the schools now enrol a substantial share of Turkish secondary students.
Critics have argued the expansion has come at the expense of secular education. There are no indications at this time that the attack was politically or ideologically motivated.