Islamic State group claims responsibility for an attack on an Istanbul church that killed one person

By ROBERT BADENDIECK
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Roman Catholic church in Istanbul during a Sunday Mass that killed one person. It said in a statement that it “attacked a gathering of Christian unbelievers during their polytheistic ceremony” inside the Santa Maria Church. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said two men he described as members of the Islamic State group were arrested in the attack. He said one of the suspects is from Tajikistan and the other from Russia. Yerlikaya said police raided 30 locations and detained a total of 47 people as part of the investigation into the attack.