Turkish media ran a 'selfie video' of the suspected gunman who killed 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub. The suspect has not been identified. However, Security experts tell Turkish media that the man operated like a professional assassin. (Jan. 3) AP
Turkish security forces have determined the identity, possible whereabouts and contacts of a gunman who killed 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub, a government official said Thursday.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak told A Haber news channel that the gunman who attacked Istanbul’s upscale Reina nightclub Sunday was most likely from China’s Muslim Uighur minority and a “specially trained member of a (terror) cell,” the Associated Press reported.
“We can say that the circle is closing in on him,” Kaynak told the news channel.
Kaynak said authorities believe the gunman, whose name hasn’t been revealed to the public, is in Turkey, although they have not ruled out the possibility he may have escaped the country, the AP reported.
“Because we have taken utmost measures at our airports — even though we don’t rule it out completely — we believe that we will get results from operations inside Turkey,” he said.
Police carried out more raids Thursday in search of the suspect and detained several people at a housing complex on Istanbul's outskirts, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. An undisclosed number of Uighurs were detained during the raids and suspected of "aiding and abetting" the gunman, Anadolu reported.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the Istanbul nightclub attack.
Turkey remains on high alert after the New Year's rampage. In a separate attack, suspected Kurdish militants on Thursday opened fire at police who stopped them at a checkpoint in the western Turkish city of Izmir before detonating their car in front of a courthouse and escaping, Gov. Erol Ayyildiz said.
A police officer and a court employee were killed in the attack, according to Anadolu. Ayyildiz said “six or seven” people were also wounded in the attack
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