Sixteen injured after ex-student opens fire at high school in Turkey

At least 16 people have been injured after an ex-student opened fire at a high school in south-eastern Turkey.

The attacker, who was in his late teens, fired "indiscriminately with a shotgun" before killing himself with the weapon after being "cornered by police", local governor Hasan Şildak said.

Those injured include 10 students, four teachers, a cafeteria worker and a police officer, he said.

The incident happened at around 09:30 local time (06:30 GMT) at the Ahmet Koyuncu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Siverek district. It has since been evacuated.

The wounded were taken to hospital, with five later transferred to other facilities for further treatment.

The motive for the attack is not yet known and an investigation has been launched.

Şildak said the attacker had no criminal record and that the school was considered safe by police. School shootings are rare in Turkey.

Local media reported that the attacker had recently posted on the school's social media accounts, threatening that there would be an attack "in a few days".

One witness told local media: "He [the gunman] was a kid, about 17-18 years old. Suddenly, he walked through the front door (of the school yard). As soon as he entered, he pulled out a gun. It was a long, stocky one, like one of those pump-action shotguns with rims."

"He immediately started shooting left and right. Then he fired towards the school. Then he ran inside. He started shooting at anyone who came in front of him, and then with the students' screams, the teachers' screams, everyone immediately scattered."

One of the injured students, Ömer Furkan Sayar, told TRT, Turkey's state broadcaster, that the gunman went into at least two classrooms, including his own.

"First we threw ourselves to the ground, then two of us jumped out of the window. He didn't say anything to us, he just came in and started shooting," he said.