Ankara - A high-ranking police officer and a civilian were killed in Istanbul Monday in a shootout between police and three members of a left-wing group that began after a police raided in Turkey's largest city early Monday. Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said the shootout started shortly after police raided an apartment block in the suburb of Bostanci on the Asian side of the city at about 5:30 am (0230 GMT).

The NTV channel reported that the shootout ended at around 11 am. It was not clear whether the three holed up in the apartment had been killed.

Six police officers and a television cameraman were also injured in the clash during which the militants threw a number of bombs at police officers.

Guler said that the group were planning to carry out a "sensational operation."

The three inside the apartment belonged to the far-left Revolutionary Headquarters, a group which has links to the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), NTV quoted police sources as saying.

Television coverage of the shootout ended at around 11 am after a ban was ordered by Turkey's television watchdog.