A shootout between Turkish police and three leftist terrorists during a raid on an apartment building in İstanbul has left three people dead and eight others wounded, authorities have said. Police special forces laid siege early yesterday to an apartment block in İstanbul's Bostancı district. They launched their raid at 5:30 a.m., leaving many residents trapped inside their homes.

The terrorists responded to the police operation by throwing two explosive devices and firing on the police. Police officer Semih Balaban, civilian Mazlum Şeker and Orhan Yılmazkaya, an alleged terrorist, were killed in the clashes while eight others, including seven policemen, were wounded by shrapnel from the explosive devices. Among the wounded was a cameraman, slightly injured by a stray bullet. An onlooker, Şeker, standing next to journalists behind police barriers, was also struck by a stray bullet and died at the scene. Police later ordered journalists to evacuate the area and the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) imposed a broadcasting ban on reporting the shooting.İstanbul Gov. Muammer Güler said the shootout was part of an operation against terrorists linked to an underground extreme leftist and separatist group. He did not specify which group. Güler also said police detained close to 40 suspects from leftist, Kurdish and radical Muslim groups in about 60 separate overnight raids."The house of a member of a leftist group implicated in past attacks against military facilities, political parties and civilians was raided early this morning. Police had intelligence that the group was preparing to stage large-scale armed attacks in the days ahead," Güler said. The militants had a large amount of ammunition, including booby traps, and that is why he was able to hold off dozens of police officers, he added.Police forces laid siege to an apartment building in İstanbul early yesterday, sparking an hours-long gun battle with terrorists that left three dead and eight wounded. Police are now investigating links between the group and other terror organizations including PKK and Ergenekon. Police helicopters hovered above the site while ambulances and fire trucks stood by. News agencies reported that the terrorists were identified as Yılmazkaya, Necdet Öztürk and Melek Senem. Television reports said the terrorists were from a leftist group called the Revolutionary Headquarters.Interior Ministry Beşir Atalay said the terrorists were top members of the Revolutionary Headquarters and are suspected of having close ties with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). He also recalled that the group was behind a bombing of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) İstanbul provincial branch building in late 2008. A gun battle between the police and three  terrorists during a raid on an apartment block in İstanbul yesterday caused great panic among area residents. One police officer, an onlooker and a terrorist were killed. After the shootout started, one of the terrorists spoke to the police officers through a police radio and identified himself as a fighter from the Revolutionary Headquarters. "I am a fighter and will fight to the end," the terrorist said. "I will probably be killed, but our struggle against fascism and terrorism will go on as it did in the past." The gunman also spoke about the "brotherhood of people," a term used by leftists to describe their solidarity with Kurds. Semih Balaban The raids came days before May Day, when police are usually on alert for clashes with leftist militants. Last week, Turkey declared May 1 an official holiday, but authorities refused to grant permission for festivities to be held at İstanbul's Taksim Square. The site is symbolic because dozens of people were killed there in 1977 when unknown gunmen opened fire, causing a stampede.May Day was barred from being an official holiday in Turkey following a 1980 military coup, whose leaders regarded the festivities as an opportunity for leftist activities.Güler said the wounded were rushed to nearby hospitals and one of the injured police officers was in critical condition. The four wounded police officers were identified as İbrahim Tonyalı, Ayhan Kırarslan, Arif Buran and Muhammet Gültekin.Around 100 people were arrested for alleged ties to the separatist PKK organization during police operations two weeks ago. Among the arrested were several members of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), Turkey's largest Kurdish political party. Officials said the raids and arrests were the culmination of a yearlong investigation into the PKK's "urban extensions." A five-hour police shootout with a leftist terrorist group in İstanbul left three people dead, including a terrorist. A police officer and an onlooker also were killed, and seven police officers and a television cameraman were wounded. The clash began with a dawn police raid on an apartment building in İstanbul's Bostancı district. Police investigate terrorists' links with ErgenekonThe Cihan news agency reported that the İstanbul police decided to launch an operation against Revolutionary Headquarters terrorists after they listened in on several phone conversations between them and four individuals who currently stand as suspects in the Ergenekon case, an investigation into a clandestine criminal organization charged with plotting to topple the government. The clash began with a dawn police raid on an apartment building in İstanbul's Bostancı district. According to the report, the leader of the terrorist group, Yılmazkaya, had phone conversations with Ergenekon suspects in the recent past. Among the suspects are Mete Yalazangil, a former True Path Party (DYP) Kadıköy branch chairman. Yalazangil was arrested in 2007.Police are now investigating possible links between the two terrorist organizations and whether Ergenekon could be using the Revolutionary Headquarters to foment an atmosphere of tension and chaos in society.Were terrorists targeting IDEF'09?There were also claims that terrorists were preparing to stage a large-scale attack against participants of the 9th International Defence Industry (IDEF'09), which started yesterday in İstanbul at the TÜYAP Fair, Convention and Congress Center in the city's Büyükçekmece district.Among the attendees of the fair are high-level officials from various countries.The reception of the 8th IDEF fair was held on May 22, 2007 in Ankara at a convention center very close to the Anafartalar shopping mall in the busy Ulus district, where a powerful explosion killed eight and injured more than 100 at the scene. There were rumors that the explosion was targeting the participants of the reception, among whom were the security ministers of 10 countries and the chiefs of general staff of four other countries.Some have questioned whether yesterday's operation thwarted an attack on the IDEF'09 fair. 28 April 2009, TuesdayTODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES  İSTANBUL