Istanbul, Jan 1 : At least 35 people were killed in a gun attack on a popular nightclub in Istanbul, city’s Governor Vasip Sahin said on Sunday morning.
Hurriyet Daily News quoted Sahin as saying that the attacker killed a police officer and a civilian at the gate of the nightclub, before entering inside and raving through the crowd celebrating the new year.
At least another 40 were injured in the “terrorist” attack which took place in the Reina nightclub, in the Ortakoy area, at about 1.30 local time (22:30 GMT).
One attacker was involved, the Governor said, while CNN Turk reported he was dressed in a Santa Claus costume.
“A terrorist with a long-range weapon … brutally and savagely carried out this incident by firing bullets on innocent people who were there solely to celebrate the New Year and have fun,” BBC quoted Sahin as telling reporters at the scene of the upmarket Reina nightclub, which sits on the banks of Bosphorus in the city’s European side.
According to a witness, there were upto 700 people in the nightclub at the time of the attack, some of whom are believed to have jumped into the river to escape.
Some 50 to 60 ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
“The inglorious (attacker) raved through the place with Kalashnikovs. The US intelligence warned over such an attack about one week or 10 days ago and measures have been taken, including the sea front. And look what has happened then,” Mehmet Koçarslan told Hürriyet reporter Toygun Atilla adding that such an attack was coming, but could not be prevented.
Turkish television channel NTV said special force police officers were searching the nightclub.
Reina is one of the international night clubs in Istanbul frequented by the high-society, celebs, artists and football stars.
Some 25,000 police officers have been on duty against a possible terror attack in Istanbul during the New Year’s Day celebrations in the wake of consecutive bomb attacks across the country in 2016, which claimed hundreds of lives, Hurriyet Daily News added.
Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) also announced a gag order regarding the attack.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed deep sadness over the attack, Anadolu Agency cited government sources, and received updates from Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Governor Sahin on the casualties as well as the details of the terrorist act.
Less than a fortnight ago, the Russian ambassador, Andrei Karlov, was shot dead by off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas as he gave a speech in the capital Ankara in December.
After the shooting, the killer shouted the murder was in revenge for Russian involvement in the conflict in the Syrian city of Aleppo.
Three weeks ago twin bombings in Istanbul killed at least 45 people, mostly police officers.—IANS
All ALLAH SWT fearing are peaceful & peace loving Muslims & will not take part in killing innocent people.
But west name it Islamic terrorism.
But they are ignorant fools never had a feeling to know Islam the first
& last Religion of this world . Propagated from Holy Prophet Adam to Holy prophet Mohammed the last blessed prophet of mankind. Propagating peace & the best law giver is ALLAH the ALMIGHTY through Holy prophet Mohammed (MSAS). Holy Quran is a guide to human & humanity propagating Love for all & hate for none.
” There is no compulsion is Religion & killing an innocent like killing all humanity” none will ever dream of paradise by killing innocent.
You western : Show us how many Jews & Christians were killed by Holy
Prophet after the victory of Holy city of Makkah, how many were robbed or destroyed their properties or women were raped.
Holy prophet entered holy city not as a king or with pride but as a humble slave of ALLAH SWT covering his holy Head under a blanket n pomp or show. Because Muslims were poor & Jews were rich ,He ordered all non Rich non Muslims to pay a welfare tax called Zizia.
again Holy prophet made a permanent covenant with Christian that
they were free to practice Christianity & no Muslim will destroy their churches. If Holy Prophet wanted to terrorise , no non Muslims would have survived in Arabia.
The world had a major peace after second world war until George bush planned to destroy middle eastern Countries: planning a war between
Iran & Iraq & then destroying own trade centre as confirmed by their own newly elected president .There are many independent reports available on Trade centre destruction conspiracy.
All these terrorism resulted from killing of innocent in middle east &
many lost tier own relatives & in turn they themselves became
revenge seekers.
Again we must note the sign of end time is near. ALLAH SWT said
the Holy Jesus will be sign of end time & before his arrival the World will be drowned in calamities of Earth quake, flood killings & the like.
Scientist of west ,Stephen Hawkins reckon the universe will collapse with in a century. ALLAH SWT only knows the time of the end of this universe, but some Muslim scholars picked up some indication from Holy Quran: 15:87 that universe may collapse after another 1709 years.
But ALLAH SWT only knows the time.
What nuisance u muslims write
U people never condemn any act of violence
Why not u accept ur religious teaching make people terrosist
These are ur allaha fearing people who r doing these bcoz they got reservation in paradise surely will got 72 hora blah blah
This is bcoz of same mythical teaching u people are illerate uneducated and mentally unstable
Islam will own fame by muslims deeds
Why other people should know islam
U people have made image of islam urself
Why u question ing others for defaming islam
Again whatever u believe like islam is only religion
Muhammad is last prophet this is ur beleif
Why u people force on others
on useless baseless superiority u live
What r u in world
Only 1 billion useless mentally ill people
Why muslim rulers impose jizia in india
Accept the truth that ur religious teaching making u idiot