Several gunshots have been fired at a bus carrying Turkey’s Fenerbahce football team, injuring the driver. The club’s VP has accused attackers of trying to “crash the bus and kill the players” who had been returning from an away game.
The Fenerbahce were on their way back to the airport to return to Istanbul after winning 5-1 against Rizespor in the away game in the city of Rize on Saturday, when their bus came under attack by unidentified gunman.
The driver was injured in the face, but according to local TV reports, security personnel on board quickly took control of the vehicle averting crash.
“It’s unbelievable,” the club’s vice president Mahmut Uslu stated, according to AFP, accusing the attackers of an attempt to “crash the bus and kill the players.”
Shots fired at team bus carrying #Turkey s #Fenerbahce FC players, injuring driver AA pic.twitter.com/WnDJXaJVBn
— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) April 4, 2015
The injured driver was taken to hospital, while Uslu confirmed that players were not harmed.
The governor of Trabzon, confirmed the gunshot wound, disputing earlier claims on social media that the driver was injured by a stone.
“The latest situation is that it appears to be a gun,” Oz said. “It is too soon to say anything definite, but it appears to be a type of bullet fired by a rifle.”
An investigation was launched with authorities vowing to catch the attacker. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish clubs condemned the attack.