ISTANBUL, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) — A student was killed and seven others were injured in a stabbing attack at a middle school in Istanbul’s Basaksehir district on Tuesday, Türkiye’s Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin said.
The incident occurred at around 8:40 a.m. local time (0540 GMT) when a female high school student, who once studied at the middle school, entered the premises wearing a uniform and stabbed students indiscriminately, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul told reporters outside a local hospital.
Gul earlier said three victims were in serious condition, including one undergoing surgery. The injured were 10 and 11 years old, according to local broadcaster Halk TV.
The 10th-grade suspect was apprehended shortly after the attack, the Interior Ministry said. Her motive was not immediately clear. A judicial process is underway.
Following the attack, the Ministry of National Education suspended classes at the targeted school for two days and appointed two inspectors to investigate the security breach.
The fatal stabbing comes amid growing public concern over school security in Türkiye following recent acts of violence. In September, 11 people were injured when a suspect opened fire indiscriminately outside a high school in the western province of Manisa. ■