Two masked men launched an armed attack on an Italian church in Istanbul during a religious ceremony on Sunday, leaving one person dead, Ali Yerlikaya, Turkey’s interior minister, said.

The attack occurred at around 11:40 (0840 GMT) at the Santa Maria church in the Sariyer district of Istanbul and was carried out by two masked men, Mr Yerlikaya said on social media.

An investigation had been launched to find the attackers, he added, who fled the scene after the shooting.

Television images showed police and an ambulance outside the ornate church.

The minister said an individual identified only as CT - who was among those attending Sunday’s service - had died after the armed attack.

“We strongly condemn this vile attack,” Mr Yerlikaya said.

Omer Celik, Turkey’s ruling AKP party spokesman, said the attackers took aim at a citizen during the mass.

“Our security forces are conducting a large-scale investigation into the matter,” he said. “Those who threaten the peace and security of our citizens will never achieve their goals.”

Local media reported that others were injured in the attack, but this was not immediately confirmed by the authorities.

The motive for the attack was also not immediately clear.

In December last year, Turkish security forces detained 32 suspects over alleged links with Islamic State jihadists who were planning attacks on churches and synagogues, as well as the Iraqi embassy.

IS extremists have carried out a string of attacks on Turkish soil, including against a nightclub in Istanbul in 2017 that left 39 people dead.