Police carry out arrests over Istanbul nightclub attack

By Arif Yakici

ISTANBUL (AA) - Police in Istanbul arrested eight suspects on Monday in connection with the nightclub attack that killed 39 people, a security official said.

The gun attack at the Reina club in the city’s Ortakoy district early Sunday left a further 69 wounded.

The suspects were arrested by anti-terror police from Istanbul, the official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The gunman, who was not among those arrested, killed a police officer and civilian outside the venue on the European shore of the Bosphorus before entering and opening fire on New Year’s Eve revelers.

At least 27 of the fatalities were foreigners and 11 were Turkish nationals. A further victim is yet to be identified, according to a Justice Ministry official.

Meanwhile, investigators released a fresh image on the attacker. The image from a security camera showed a slim young man wearing a dark jacket apparently standing at a shop counter.