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16-year-old stabs two classmates at school in Istanbul's Esenyurt district

A 16-year-old boy injured two classmates, aged 14 and 15, with a knife during an argument at a secondary school in Istanbul on Wednesday, local media reported.

By ECTV Crisis DeskEditor-in-chief: Erik FerdinandPublished 5 independent sources · 98% confidence
Location: Esenyurt, Istanbul (town or village). Open the live Europe Crisis Map

A 16-year-old pupil stabbed two classmates, aged 15 and 14, during an argument at a secondary school in Istanbul's Esenyurt district on Wednesday, Turkish broadcaster Habertürk reported, according to Euronews Albania and Philenews. A third pupil, also 14, was lightly hurt in the same incident.

All three received first aid at the scene before being taken to hospital, where treatment was continuing, the outlets said. The attack happened at a school in the Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha neighbourhood, in the western outskirts of the city, Il Fatto Quotidiano reported.

Pupils in the same class began arguing for a reason that has not been established, and the dispute quickly escalated into the attack, Euronews Albania and Philenews reported. Police and ambulances were called to the school after the alarm was raised, and the 16-year-old suspect was placed under police supervision. A preliminary police investigation confirmed that he had attacked the two classmates with a knife, Philenews reported. Investigators are still examining what caused the argument and the exact circumstances of the attack, the outlets said.

It was the second knife attack at an Istanbul school in 24 hours. On Tuesday morning, a 15-year-old girl stabbed eight pupils at Sayh Samil secondary school, a religiously-oriented institution on the outskirts of Istanbul, Il Fatto Quotidiano reported; one of the injured, a 10-year-old girl, died hours later, according to Euronews Albania and Philenews.

The Istanbul stabbing came on the same day a 19-year-old attacked pupils and teachers with a knife at a school in Ostrołęka, Poland, injuring nine people, Il Fatto Quotidiano reported; the two attacks were unrelated.

What we know

Not yet confirmed

  • Unconfirmed The reason for the argument that led to the attack has not been established, according to the reports.

How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts

Why it matters for Europe

Wednesday's stabbing was the fourth violent incident recorded in a Turkish secondary school since the start of the academic year, Il Fatto Quotidiano reported, following Tuesday's fatal stabbing in Basaksehir and earlier episodes this term. Neither Wednesday's nor Tuesday's attack has been publicly explained by officials so far.

Investigators have not disclosed what caused the argument among pupils that led to Wednesday's stabbing, and Turkish authorities have not announced any new safety measures at other schools in the city following the two attacks this week, according to the available reports.

Sources

Reported by 5 reports from 5 independent outlets in 5 countries.

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Questions and answers

What happened at the school in Istanbul?
A 16-year-old student stabbed two classmates, aged 14 and 15, during a dispute at a secondary school in the Esenyurt district on Wednesday, Turkish media reported.
Were there other recent knife attacks at Istanbul schools?
Yes. A day earlier, a 15-year-old girl stabbed eight pupils at a school in the Basaksehir district; one of them, a 10-year-old girl, died.
What happened to the suspect?
The 16-year-old was placed under police supervision while investigators look into what caused the fight.

This article was written with AI assistance from 6 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.

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