Istanbul New Year’s nightclub attacker caught: Reports

TIL Desk/World/Istanbul-The gunman suspected of killing 39 people in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year’s Day has been caught by police in the city’s Esenyurt district, the Hurriyet newspaper website and other media reports said on Tuesday.

The man, who media quoted police as saying had operated under the cover name Abu Muhammed Horasani, was caught in a hideout with his four-year-old son, Hurriyet said. The reports could not immediately be confirmed.

Dozens of people have previously been detained in connection with the attack for which Islamic State has claimed responsibility, saying it was revenge for Turkish military involvement in Syria.

On Jan 1, the attacker shot his way into the Reina nightclub then opened fire with an automatic rifle, reloading his weapon half a dozen times and shooting the wounded as they lay on the ground.

Turks as well as visitors from several Arab nations, India and Canada were among those killed in the attack. Horasani was described as being of Uzbek origin by the Haberturk website, which said he was caught at a housing complex in Esenyurt district, on the European side of the city.