A 15‑year‑old girl from a different high school entered Basaksehir middle school wearing a uniform and stabbed eight girls before police arrived. Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said one victim was in critical condition and two were in moderate‑to‑serious condition.
The attack follows a string of violent incidents targeting schools across Turkey, including a teenage shooter who wounded 11 pupils outside a western school last month and two teenage gunmen who clashed in southern cities in April.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said the attacker lives in the same neighbourhood and was wearing a school uniform, stabbing the children "indiscriminately." Police detained the suspect immediately, and Basaksehir district governor Cemil Ozgur Onegi confirmed the attacker was a high‑school student.
Investigators are reviewing security measures at Basaksehir schools and the suspect faces charges under the Turkish Penal Code for attempted murder. Prosecutors are expected to file formal charges by next week.