ISTANBUL, Turkey (A.W.)—Thirty-nine people were killed in a terror shooting in Istanbul at the Reina nightclub early on New Year’s Day. At least 69 others were left injured. An ongoing manhunt to find the gunman who stormed into the nightclub and began opening fire with an AK-47 automatic rifle continues.
Authorities say they are looking for this man in connection with the deadly attack.
Daesh (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement made on Twitter that called the gunman as a “heroic soldier of the brave caliphate.” Eight people have been detained by police and are being questioned in connection with the attack, according to Turkey’s state-run news agency, Anadolu.
Those killed in the attacks were from 14 countries including Canada, Russia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Kuwait. Turkish police released new photos of the main suspect of the shooting on Jan. 2.
Among the injured was American Jake Raak who survived the attack by playing dead and remaining silent after he was shot.
The Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) in a statement said, “No Kurdish forces have anything to do with this attack.”
World leaders have condemned the attack as U.S. officials are calling it a terrorist attack.
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: New Year’s Shooting Leaves 39 Dead in Istanbul