Terrorist Attack Strikes Istanbul
In the Reina nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey a minimum of thirty-nine people are reported dead after what Turkish authorities are now calling “a terror attack”.
It is still not known whether this attack was carried out by an individual terrorist or by multiple assailants. According to the Governor of Istanbul Vasip Sahin, the attacker killed a police officer before storming the nightclub in what Mr. Sahin described as a “cruel, cold-blooded act”. Of those killed, sixteen are confirmed to be foreigners. The New Year of 2017 had already begun at the time (the police officer was killed at around 1:15 A.M. (or 1:45 A.M.) Sunday, local time) and those in attendance at the club were celebrating according to Mr. Sahin.
It has also been indicated that the assailant may have been donning a Santa Claus outfit. As indicated earlier, there may have been multiple attackers and one news source, based on witness accounts, reports that the assailants spoke in Arabic. As events unfolded, police arrived at the scene to guard the nightclub. The individual (or individuals) responsible is/are still at large.
The story is still developing.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/31/europe/turkey-nightclub-attack/index.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/31/istanbul-attack-gunmen-dressed-santa-open-fire-nightclub-turkey/
