Two die in Istanbul ambush

TWO MEN believed to be planning a rocket attack on the United States consulate in Istanbul were shot dead by Turkish police yesterday.

It was unclear whether the incident was linked to the trial of the Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan. The CIA is believed to have been involved in his capture in February.

The two men died in a dawn shoot-out after police saw them enter a boarded- up building opposite the consulate and apparently recognised them as known suspects. The men were armed with handguns and a grenade launcher.