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Istanbul nighclub attacker, who killed 39 on New Year Eve, caught alive: Turkish Police

The Nightclub Attack Suspect Was Caught In A Special Operations Police Raid On A House In A Housing Complex In Istanbul's Esenyurt District

PTI | Updated on: 17 Jan 2017, 07:44:53 AM
Turkish Police secure the area at Ortakoy district near night club Reina. (File Photo- Getty Images)

Istanbul:

A gunman who killed 39 people during an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations has been caught in a police operation, Turkish media reports said on Tuesday.

The suspect was caught in a special operations police raid on a house in a housing complex in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, private NTV television said.

The report said he had been staying in the house belonging to a Kyrgyz friend.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria.

The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack. Hurriyet newspaper and other media have identified the gunman as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national.

The suspect was to undergo medical checks before being taken to a police headquarters for questioning, the paper said in its online edition. Dogan news agency published what it said was the first image of the attacker.

It showed a bruised, black-haired man in a grey, bloodied shirt being held by his neck. Private NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

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First Published : 17 Jan 2017, 07:19:00 AM

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