Istanbul police headquarters targeted in flame-thrower attack

A flame thrower was fired at the police headquarters in Istanbul on Friday evening but caused no injuries, the governor said.

"Flame thrower fired at the Istanbul police headquarters," Governor Vasip Sahin tweeted. "The exterior garden wall was hit. There are no casualties among our staff."

The governor later tweeted that a large-scale operation was launched to catch those who carried out the attack.

Abdulgadir Masharipov, a Uzbek national who the authorities blame for the mass shooting at Istanbul's Reina nightclub on New Year's Day, has been held in the police headquarters after he was captured on Monday night, press reports said.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the shooting attack, in which 39 people were killed and 69 others injured.

Istanbul has been hit by a spate of deadly attacks over the past year. Endit