Shoot out kills at least two

At least two die and at least seven policemen injured in shootout in Istanbul, Turkey.

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Heavily-armed police surround a site in Istanbul in Turkey as a shootout takes place.

The violence came as police raided members of a far left militant group in the centre of the city.

It was one of a spate of overnight raids in 60 areas of the country in a nation-wide crack-down on the militants suspected of planning to carry out major attacks.

But here in Istanbul the raid developed into a shootout.

As helicopters hovered over head, police on the grounds fired into a building where militants were holed up.

Officials say they threw bombs.

One man lies injured on the ground as panicking onlookers run past.

The media said he was a television cameraman who had been shot by the militants.

Another wounded man was rushed to a waiting ambulance.

A senior official said extreme leftist, separatist and radical groups had been targeted in the raids and more than 10 detained in the operation.

Penny Tweedie, Reuters.