Istanbul: The head of Turkey’s armed forces has been rescued after being held hostage during an attempted coup by a military faction which used tanks and attack helicopters to try to seize power overnight, a senior Turkish official said.

Hulusi Akar had been held by rebel soldiers during the attempted coup, Turkish broadcasters said.

Scores of members from Turkish armed forces were arrested across the country after a coup attempt blamed by the government on supporters of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

754 members of Turkish armed forces were arrested for involvement in the coup, the agency said. A Turkish official added that 29 colonels and 5 generals had been removed from their posts. At least 60 people were killed in the turmoil.