On Wednesday, 26 August 1896, 13:00 o'clock, 26 Armenians from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, armed with pistols and grenades and led by Papken Siuni, attacked and occupied the Ottoman Bank of Constantinople. The men entered the great hall of the Ottoman Bank armed with revolvers, daggers and dynamite bombs. Forming in small groups, they were accosted by one of the Albanian bank guards; they shot at him, triggering a shootout between the Armenians and the rest of the bank guards.[6] During the initial part of the operation, nine of the attackers, including leader Papken Siuni were shot and killed in the firefight, and his role as leader of the operation was assumed by Armen Garo.