ISTANBUL: New Year celebrations in Istanbul turned into sadness when a gunman shot his way into a nightclub packed with revelers early on Sunday, killing at least 39, including 16 foreigners, and wounding over 40, city’s governor Vasip Sahin said.
The assailant dressed in Santa Claus costume before entering the Reina nightclub shot dead a police officer and a civilian and then opened random fire inside. The nightclub located on the shore of the world known Bosphorus Strait in the Besiktas district.
The governor told media that the terrorist carrying a long-range gun sprayed revelers with bullets.
At the time of shooting, around 500 to 600 people were inside the club at around 1:15 am local time (2230 GMT).
The governor said that some people even jumped into the waters of the Bosphorus to save themselves. Later, they were rescued by police, he added.
Security authorities in Istanbul had put up some 17,000 police officers on the eve of New Year some dressed in Santa Claus costume and others as street vendors.
Over 180 people were killed in terror attacks and bombings in Ankara and Istanbul during 2016. Daesh terrorists or PKK militants have been blamed for these attacks.
