Massacre suspect’s identity now known

TURKEY has identified the gunman behind the attack on an elite Istanbul nightclub that killed 39, as efforts intensified to catch the suspected jihadist before he strikes again.

The assailant stormed the glamorous Reina nightclub early on Sunday morning, spraying 120 bullets at terrified partygoers celebrating the start of 2017.

Of the 39 dead, 27 were foreigners including citizens from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia and Morocco.

Many of those killed were laid to rest in their respective countries by grieving relatives on Tuesday.

“The identity of the person responsible for the attack has been established,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during an interview with the state-run Anadolu news agency, without giving any name.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, with reports suggesting the authorities suspect the gunman may be from either Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan, both ex-Soviet states.

There was a flurry of interest surrounding a 28-year-old citizen of Kyrgyzstan who flew out of Istanbul on Tuesday but he was released after questioning.

After slipping into the night following the attack, the killer remains on the run.

“Efforts to capture him continue,” Cavusoglu said.

The IS took responsibility for the massacre on Monday, marking the first time it has issued a clear and undisputed claim for a major attack inside Turkey.

The group said it was in response to Turkey’s military intervention against the jihadists in war-ravaged Syria where Turkish troops are pressing on with a four-month incursion to oust jihadists from the border area.

Turkish media reported the attacker had rented a flat in the central city of Konya before moving to Istanbul to carry out the attack.

There were also reports suggesting he appeared to be well trained in the use of arms and had fought in Syria for the IS.

Despite no name being made public, police released the first clear images of the attacker earlier this week, including one taken by security cameras on the night of the attack.

In the western city of Izmir, at least 20 people including 11 women, were taken into custody as part of the investigation into the attack, Anadolu reported.

The news agency said they were of Central Asian and Syrian origin, while the Dogan news agency said they were members of three families. – AFP