Police have detained 16 suspects as details of the gunman's identity become clearer
The search for the gunman behind Istanbul's New Year's Eve terror attack at the Reina nightclub in Ortaköy has resulted in the detainment of 16 suspects. Istanbul Police Headquarters detained suspects who were linked to the gunman.
Two of the suspects in custody were in contact with the gunman in Istanbul's European district of Zeytinburnu just days before the nightclub attack.
The New Year's Eve attack killed 39 people and wounded 65, four of whom are in critical condition.
The gunman is believed to be either Uzbek or Kazakh. Initial reports indicate that the gunman traveled from the Turkic states to Istanbul, and was a Daesh terrorist.
An analysis of the attack method used at the nightclub has revealed that it was similar in nature to the June 28 2016 terrorist attack at Ataturk Airport. It has been predicted that the gunman responsible for the New Year's Eve attack was from the same Daesh terrorist cell.
Within the seven minute massacre, the gunman changed four clips and fired 120 bullets.
After opening fire on the New Year's Eve revelers, the gunman approached the victims and shot them within close range one by one.
Gunman's connections are being investigated
Though the gunman's identity has been revealed, the search to find him is still underway. Multiple houses across various districts of Istanbul were raided and searched.
Security footage from both inside and around the club is being analyzed.
All possible links to the gunman are being investigated, and police are raiding all locations where he could be in hiding.
Reuters reported that Daesh claimed responsibility for the New Year's Eve attack.
Only days before the attack, an online message from a pro-Daesh terrorist group called for attacks by "lone wolves" on "celebrations, gatherings and clubs."
Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that they are investigating the possibility of the gunman being Kyrgyz.
“Our consulate in Istanbul has been instructed to investigate the news stories claiming the gunman was Kyrgyz," said the Ministry's spokesperson Aiymkan Kulukeyeva.
