Türkiye arrests Istanbul nightclub attacker

The suspect in the shooting at a nightclub in Istanbul, Türkiye on New Year's Eve has just been arrested.

Abdulkadir Masharipov

Sky News quoted local media as saying that the man of Uzbek origin was arrested during a raid on a house in the city of Esenyurt.

Turkish television channel NTV said police identified the suspect's hideout four days ago, but delayed the raid so they could monitor his movements.

At the time of the massacre on December 31, 2016, the Reina nightclub had about 500-600 guests flocking to celebrate the New Year.

Surveillance camera footage shows a man fatally shooting police officer Burak Yildiz and tour worker Ayhan Arik outside the nightclub before entering and firing 120 bullets into the crowd.

Witnesses described having to duck under tables during the attack, while one survivor described having to push aside bodies to escape the building.

Among the victims were citizens of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq and Morocco.

The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility, saying the massacre was in retaliation for Turkish military involvement in Syria.

At least 35 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, according to Andolu news agency.

According to VNN