Manhunt in western Turkey after eight killed in series of shootings

What the report says

A manhunt is under way in western Turkey after eight people were killed and one person was seriously injured in a series of shootings in Afyonkarahisar province, according to BBC News reporting based on local media and official statements. The incidents were said to have happened on Thursday in rural areas northeast of the city of Afyonkarahisar, with victims discovered in multiple locations and inside three separate vehicles.

Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported that three people were killed near Ayazini village and three more near Kiyir village. In Yukaritandir, two women were found injured and later died in hospital. Local reports said two teachers were among those killed, though BBC noted this could not be independently confirmed from the material available.

Police closed roads leading to the affected villages and launched a large-scale search for the suspect, who fled the scene. Turkish media also published CCTV images said to show a man carrying a long weapon near a red minivan. Another report said a vehicle linked to the suspect was later found stuck in mud, suggesting he may have continued on foot. The Afyonkarahisar Governorate said state institutions were coordinating their response and offered condolences to the victims’ families. The killings have drawn attention because of their scale and the unusual spread of the attacks across several rural locations.