Two gunmen,who attacked the iconic Dolmabahce Palace in Besiktas district on Wednesday were targeting the Turkey's ruling AK Party office, Istanbul governor's office has said in an official statement.  

Though the police said that the attack was thwarted, they described the situation as "volatile".

Initially it was believed that the attackers were targeting the German consulate, however, Istanbul governor's office in a statement said that "terrorists" were planning to gain entry into the AK Party office.

As per Initial reports, the gunmen first threw a low intensity grenade and then started firing near the entrance of Dolmabahce Palace, an Ottoman-era building popular with tourists which also houses the prime minister's Istanbul office, the Hurriyet Daily reported.

The gunmen armed with "automatic weapons" however, fled the spot and proceeded towards the German consulate. The police, however, were able to corner them near the gate of the consulate, before they could do any damage.

The police also found several rounds of bullets and live grenades from the attackers. Both the attackers were injured. The police later released the images of the attackers.

A security person at the Dolmabahce Palace suffered minor injuries in the failed attack, according to Anadolu Agency. Several ambulances were rushed to the spot and the police cordoned off the area.

Some images shared on social media show that the gunmen arrived in the area in a white sedan.

The attack comes a day after the Islamic State (Isis) terrorists released a new video asking its supporters in Turkey to oust the "satan" President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey is also facing stiff opposition from Kurdish militants after Ankara targeted dozens of their hideouts in Syria.

First Image of the Dolmabahce Palace Gunment [Photo]

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