Eight students injured in knife attack at Istanbul middle school

ISTANBUL

(İHA Photo)

Eight students were injured, three seriously, in a knife attack at a middle school in Istanbul’s Başakşehir district on Oct. 6, according to Turkish authorities.

The incident occurred at Şeyh Şamil Imam Hatip Middle School in the Kayabaşı neighborhood after a fight broke out among students.

A 10th-grade female student, identified by her initials F.M., who attends a high school in the neighboring Küçükçekmece district, allegedly carried out the knife attack at the school. She was reportedly a former student of Şeyh Şamil Imam Hatip Middle School.

Police and medical teams were dispatched to the scene following reports of the attack. Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said eight injured students were receiving treatment at hospitals and that their conditions were being closely monitored.

“One of our injured students is in critical condition. The treatment of our eight injured patients, two of whom are in serious-to-moderate condition, continues at our hospitals,” Memişoğlu said in a statement on social media.

The suspect reportedly arrived at her former school in the morning wearing a school uniform. Local reports also cited claims that she had psychological problems, although authorities have not publicly confirmed the allegations.

The attack caused panic around the school, with parents rushing to the scene after receiving news of the incident.

Police established a security perimeter around the school and launched an investigation into the circumstances of the attack.

The incident comes amid a series of attacks at schools across the country this year, including a fatal shooting. The incidents have fueled public debate over school safety and prompted authorities to step up security measures at a number of schools.