Thread: At least 35 killed and 40 wounded in nightclub attack

ISTANBUL ATTACK: At least 35 killed and 40 wounded when an assailant opens fire at a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey

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An assailant believed to have been dressed in a Santa Claus costume opened fire at a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations, killing 35 people and wounding 40 others, officials said.

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Istanbul nightclub attack 'leaves 35 dead'

• 16 minutes ago
• From the sectionEurope

At least 35 people have lost their lives in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, the city's governor has said.

Among the dead is one police officer, Vasip Sahin stated, adding that it was a terror attack.

At least another 40 were injured in the attack which took place in the Reina nightclub, in the Ortakoy area, at about 01:30 local time (23:30 GMT).

One attacker was involved, the governor said, while CNN Turk reported he was dressed in a Santa Claus costume.

There were reportedly several hundred people in the nightclub at the time, some of whom are believed to have jumped into the Bosphorus to escape.

Istanbul had been on high alert with some 17,000 police officers on duty in the city, following a string of terror attacks in recent months.

Many were carried out by so-called Islamic State (IS) or Kurdish rebels.

Less than a fortnight ago, the Russian ambassador, Andrei Karlov, was shot dead by off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas as he gave a speech in the capital Ankara in December.

After the shooting, the killer shouted the murder was in revenge for Russian involvement in the conflict in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

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Deadly attacks in Turkey in 2016

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionScene of explosion in Ankara's central Kizilay district on 13 March
10 December: Twin bomb attack outside a football stadium in Istanbul kills 44 people, Kurdish militant group claims responsibility
20 August: Bomb attack on wedding party in Gaziantep kills at least 30 people, IS suspected
30 July: 35 Kurdish fighters who try to storm a military base are killed by the Turkish army
28 June: A gun and bomb attack on Ataturk airport in Istanbul kills 41 people, in an attack blamed on IS militants
13 March: 37 people are killed by Kurdish militants in a suicide car bombing in Ankara
17 February: 28 people die in an attack on a military convoy in Ankara

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38481521

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35 killed, 40 wounded in New Year's attack at Istanbul nightclub

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35 killed and 40 wounded in New Year's attack on Istanbul night club

Published December 31, 2016 FoxNews.com

Police secure area near an Istanbul nightclub, Turkey, January 1, 2017. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RTX2X3HS


ISTANBUL (AP) – An armed assailant who is believed to have been dressed in a Santa Claus costume opened fire at a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations, killing at least 35 people and wounding 40 others, according to Istanbul's governor Vasip Sahin and Turkey's state-run news agency.

Sahin called the incident a "terror attack" but did not say who might have carried it out.

Footage from the scene showed at least six ambulances with flashing lights and civilians being escorted out. NTV said police had cordoned off the area and an operation to capture the assailant was ongoing.

It is believed that more than 500 people were inside the club at the time of the incident.

An AP photographer says police cordoned off the area about 2 miles (3 kilometers) away from the nightclub and reported multiple ambulances passing by.

Security measures had been heightened in major Turkish cities, with police barring traffic leading up to key squares in Istanbul and the capital Ankara. In Istanbul, 17,000 police officers were put on duty, some camouflaged as Santa Clause and others as street vendors, Anadolu reported.

Ankara and Istanbul have been targeted by several attacks in 2016 carried out by the Islamic State group or Kurdish rebels, killing more than 180 people.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/12...ight-club.html

Istanbul Reina nightclub attack 'leaves 39 dead'

BBC News

- ‎4 minutes ago‎

Manhunt Underway for Gunman Who Killed at Least 39 at Istanbul Nightclub

• By MICHAEL EDISON HAYDEN
• DAVID CAPLAN

Jan 1, 2017, 11:14 AM ET


A manhunt is underway in Turkey for a gunman who went on a rampage inside a crowded Istanbul nightclub during New Year's Eve celebrations early Sunday morning, killing at least 39 people and injuring at least another 69, according to Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

The popular Reina club had attracted a diverse crowd of between 400 and 500 patrons from foreign countries as well as Turkey to ring in the new year before the attack by an apparently lone gunman at around 1:15 a.m, authorities said.

The attacker, armed with what authorities described as a long-barreled weapon, killed a policeman and a civilian outside of the club before "[raining] bullets in a very cruel and merciless way on innocent people" inside the club, according to Visip Sahin, the governor of Istanbul.

The Associated Press
Ambulances rushing away from the scene of an attack in Istanbul, early Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. Private NTV television said more than one assailant may have been involved in the attack.more +

At least 15 of the dead were foreign nationals, according to Soylu, who did not specify their nationalities. He said that five of the victims have been identified as Turkish nationals.
Authorities are still working to identify the remaining victims of the attack, and of the 69 people who were being treated in hospitals, four are currently in serious condition, according to Soylu, who described the attack as "inhuman."
"This was a massacre, a truly inhuman savagery," Soylu said.
At a press conference Sunday, Soylu said the assailant arrived wearing a jacket and pants, and is believed to have left wearing different clothing.

The Associated Press
People leave as medics and security officials work at the scene after an attack at a popular nightclub in Istanbul, early Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017.more +

Soylu said authorities are aggressively searching for the gunman. "Our security forces have started the necessary operations. God willing he will be caught in a short period of time."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement Sunday, "I vehemently condemn the terror attack ... Turkey continues its combat against terror and is absolutely determined to do whatever is necessary in the region to ensure its citizens' safety and peace."

The Associated Press
Medics and security officials work at the scene after an attack at a popular nightclub in Istanbul, early Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017.

The U.S. issued a statement offering assistance to Turkish authorities.
"The president was briefed by his National Security Team on the attack in Istanbul," President Obama's principal deputy press secretary Eric Schultz said in a statement. "The president expressed condolences for the innocent lives lost, directed his team to offer appropriate assistance to the Turkish authorities, as necessary, and keep him updated as warranted."

The Associated Press
Medics carry a wounded person at the scene after an attack at a popular nightclub in Istanbul, early Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017.

Mark Toner, America's State Department's deputy spokesman said in a statement, "The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey ... We will remain in close touch with Turkish authorities throughout the investigation ... We stand in solidarity with our NATO Ally Turkey in combating the ongoing threat of terrorism."
Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose complex relationship with Turkey was further complicated in December after a Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot dead today by a lone gunman fired at him at a photo exhibition in Ankara, Turkey's capital in a widely-seen, on-camera attack, sent Erdogan a telegram of condolences, according to the Kremlin, writing, "It is hard to imagine a more cynical crime than killing innocent people during New Year celebrations. However, terrorists don't share moral values. Our common duty is to combat terrorists' aggression," Putin said.

The Associated Press
Young people leave from the scene of an attack in Istanbul, early Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017.more +

Turkey has suffered numerous terrorist attacks in recent years, including bombings.

Among the incidents in the country were a suicide attack at a wedding this August and coordinated shootings and bombings of Istanbul's major international airport in June, attacks that killed scores of civilians.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...ry?id=44496207