Female bomber killed in Istanbul police HQ clash: official

Istanbul, 1 April 2015 (MIA) - Turkish security forces shot dead a female assailant, armed with a bomb and a gun, after she and an accomplice sought to attack the police headquarters in Istanbul on Wednesday, reports said.

The male accomplice was injured but fled the scene of the clash, which came a day after a top prosecutor was killed in a hostage drama, Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin was quoted as saying by Turkish media.

One policeman was lightly wounded in Wednesday's attack.

The CNN-Turk and NTV channels later reported that the injured male assailant was arrested by the police but this was not officially confirmed.

"An armed attack targeted our police department in Istanbul," Sahin said.

"A female terrorist, with bomb and a gun, was killed in the clash. The other assailant fled and was injured and one policeman was lightly injured," he added.

Istanbul is on a high security alert a hostage-taking, claimed by leftist militants, resulted in the death of prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz.