Istanbul, Oct 13 (IANS): A police officer was injured in central Istanbul, Turkey's largest city when a young man stabbed him from behind, local media reported.

The incident occurred at around on Saturday at 11 a.m. (local time) on the bustling Istiklal Avenue, one of the most visited tourist spots on the European side of the city, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting the NTV broadcaster.

The assailant approached the police standing on the street and stabbed him in the neck, according to the report.

The suspect fled the scene after the incident but was subsequently apprehended by police in the nearby Kasimpasa neighbourhood. The injured officer was transported to a hospital for treatment. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but NTV has reported that the assailant was a patient with schizophrenia.

This incident marks the third attack on police in Istanbul within a month. The first occurred on September 23, when one police officer was fatally shot during a shootout.

In a subsequent incident on October 4, another officer sustained serious injuries, and the armed assailant was killed during an exchange of gunfire.