As the entire world brought in the New Year, a nightclub in Istanbul fell victim to an unidentified gunman, who opened fire at the club’s patrons on early Sunday morning, leaving at least 39 people dead, including two Indians.
While Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu confirmed a manhunt for the terrorist is under way, militant group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement:
A hero soldier of the caliphate attacked one of the most famous nightclubs, where Christians celebrated their pagan holiday. They used hand grenades and a machine gun and transformed their celebration to mourning.
Eyewitnesses recounted the horror, describing seeing dozens of bodies on the floor. Professional footballer Sefa Boydas, who was at the club, recalled:
Gunshots rang out. When those sounds were heard, many girls fainted. They say 35 to 40 died but it’s probably more because when I was walking, people were walking on top of people.
The government’s spokesman, Numan Kurtulmus, said at a news conference that investigators believed they found the assailant’s fingerprints and that they were close to identifying him, while state news media reported that eight suspects had been detained in connection with the attack.
H/T: BBC, NY Times
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