Hostages freed after being held for 9 hours at P&G plant in Turkey

Officials report that seven workers who were taken hostage at a Proctor & Gamble (P&G) plant near Istanbul, Turkey, have been rescued following a nine-hour ordeal. Police in Gebza intervened when the suspect, who was apparently protesting against the war in Gaza, took a break to go to the toilet.

According to local governor Seddar Yavuz, the hostages were unharmed. Online images show the suspect, his face concealed by a Palestinian scarf, wearing what appears to be an explosives vest and carrying a firearm. Yavuz added that the suspect was detained without harm during the “meticulous” rescue operation.

The hostage-taking occurred around 15:00 local time (12:00 GMT), as reported by the DHA news agency. The hostages were released shortly before midnight. Authorities state that the motive behind the incident was the suspect’s desire to bring attention to the ongoing situation in Gaza.