Turkish police have launched raids in Istanbul and arrested 12 people, as the hunt for an attacker who killed 39 people in a nightclub intensifies.
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said authorities had fingerprints and a basic description, and vowed to “speedily” identify the suspect. Some 600 revellers were in the Reina nightclub early on Sunday when the gunman attacked. The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack. There are some reports in Turkish media that the authorities know the man’s identity but have not made it public. Police have released new images said to be of the suspect but have not yet named him.
Undated images of the suspect released by Turkish police[/caption]
‘Shooting randomly’
Early on Sunday, the gunman arrived at the club by taxi before rushing through the entrance with a long-barrelled gun he had taken from the boot of the car. Media caption“I was thinking… we are going to die in the bathroom” – attack survivor Tuvana Tugsavult The attacker fired randomly at people in an assault lasting seven minutes, starting with a security guard and a travel agent near the entrance. Both were killed. The gunman is reported to have changed clothes before fleeing the chaos. About two-thirds of those killed were foreign, according to local media.Victims by nationality
Hundreds mourn Turkish victim Yunus Gormek at his funeral in Istanbul[/caption]
The body of one of those who died has yet to be identified. At least 69 people are being treated in hospital, officials said, with three in a serious condition. Barman Mehmet Yilan, 36, said the gunman “stormed in and immediately headed for the people to the left, which is always more crowded… he seemed to know where to go. “He was shooting randomly but aiming for their upper bodies. He didn’t want to just injure them.” The nightclub, which sits on the banks of the Bosphorus, is one of Istanbul’s most fashionable venues – popular with foreigners and often frequented by singers and sports stars.
