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Istanbul nightclub attack kills dozens
Gunman opens fire in nightclub packed with New Year revelers
At least 35 people are dead in terror assault after gunman fires on revelers.
ISTANBUL — At least 35 people were reported killed when a gunman opened fire on revelers celebrating the New Year in one of Istanbul’s most popular nightclubs, in the latest in a string of terrorist attacks over the last few weeks that have claimed dozens of lives and shaken Turkey.
The attack early Sunday wounded at least 40 others.
The assault, at the Reina nightclub, began about 1 a.m., when the gunman shot and killed a police officer who was guarding the door, according to Vasip Sahin, Istanbul’s governor, who spoke to reporters in front of the club about two hours after the shooting.
After killing the policeman, the gunman “brutally and violently attacked innocent people who came here to enjoy themselves,” Sahin said.
He did not identify the assailant, but called it a “terrorist attack.”
Sahin said the attacker, armed with a long-barreled weapon, also killed a civilian outside the club before entering and firing on people partying inside.
“Unfortunately (he) rained bullets in a very cruel and merciless way on innocent people who were there to celebrate New Year’s and have fun,” Sahin told reporters.
At the time of the attack, there were hundreds of people inside the club, which sits on the Bosporus, according to local media.
There were unconfirmed reports that the gunman stormed the club wearing a Santa Claus costume.
Patrons jumped into the water to escape the gunfire, according to social media reports, and dozens of ambulances could be heard heading in the direction of the club, in Istanbul’s Ortakoy district.
Several ambulances flashing blue lights arrived on the scene, some taking wounded to Istanbul hospitals.
Amid heavy rain, police in riot gear and assault rifles backed up by armored vehicles blocked the area close to the nightclub, which is one of the most popular night spots in Istanbul.
Eyewitness Sinem Uyanik told The Associated Press she saw several bodies inside the club.
Her husband Lutfu Uyanik was wounded in the attack.
“Before I could understand what was happening, my husband fell on top me,” she said outside Istanbul’s Sisli Hospital. “I had to lift several bodies from on top of me before I could get out.”
Her husband was reportedly not in serious condition despite his wounds.
The club is located close to the site of recent suicide attacks that killed dozens near a soccer stadium.
Istanbul had already been under heavy security surveillance during New Year festivities, with police with assault rifles and armored vehicles parked on the streets.
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 Claus and others as street vendors, state news agency Anadolu reported.
Ankara and Istanbul were targeted by several attacks in 2016 carried out by the Islamic State group or Kurdish rebels, killing more than 180 people.
The mass killing at the nightclub was at least the fourth major attack in Turkey in less than a month, raising questions about the country’s stability as it faces an array of threats.
In Washington, the White House condemned what it called a “horrific terrorist attack” in Istanbul and offered U.S. help to Turkey.
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack by his national security team and asked to be updated as the situation develops. Obama is vacationing in Hawaii with his family.
White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the attack on “innocent revelers” celebrating New Year’s shows the attackers’ savagery. He said the U.S. sends thoughts and prayers to the relatives of those killed.
Price said the U.S. supports its NATO ally Turkey as both countries fight terrorism.