There's been a dramatic gun battle in a suburb of Istanbul between Turkish police and suspected Islamic militants.

The police said one of the militants was killed and a police officer was injured.

The police were investigating the recent disappearance of several businessmen in the Istanbul area, and were monitoring a suspected safe house in the suburb of Beykoz, when they came under fire.

Police surrounded the house and evacuated surrounding homes.

The siege ended after nightfall several hours later, with a series of unexplained explosions. The BBC Ankara correspondent says this is the first time that suspected militants belonging to the Turkish Hizbullah group have exchanged fire with police in an urban area, and it will increase concern about the strength of armed Islamic radicals in Turkey.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service