The number of those killed in the armed attack on Istanbul’s Reina nightclub has risen to 39, including 16 foreigners, the Turkish interior ministry said.
At last 40 others were also injured in the attack which is believed to have been carried out by one gunman.
Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu told the media that the police are hunting for the attacker. It is still not known what happened to the gunman.
Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin told reporters: “A terrorist with a long-range weapon ... brutally and savagely carried out this incident by firing bullets on innocent people who were there solely to celebrate the New Year and have fun,”
Reina on the Bosporus is one of Istanbul’s most popular nightclubs in Istanbul especially for the city’s rich.
Reports said that around 700 people were in the club to celebrate the New Year when the attack took place by a gunman dressed in Santa Claus costume, according to CNN Turk.
The attackers were speaking Arabic, witnesses told Dogan news.
“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,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement on behalf of US President Barack Obama.
Police special forces engage in operation after reports of gunman inside nightclub in Besiktas, Istanbul.
— TRT World (@trtworld) December 31, 2016
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