Istanbul nightclub attack: family of suspected shooter held in police custody

The family of the man suspected of attacking an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day has been taken into Turkish police custody, the nation's media said on Tuesday.


The suspect, whose name was yet to be released by the authorities, entered the Reina nightclub in Istanbul shortly after midnight on Jan. 1 where he opened fire, killing 39 people.

The Hurriyet daily newspaper on Tuesday said police knew the identity of the attacker and that his family had been detained.

According to the news outlet, investigators said the suspect arrived in Turkey from Syria in Nov. 2016 along with his wife and two sons, where they settled in the central city of Konya.

The Islamic State terror group on Monday claimed the New Year's Day shooting, claiming the assailant was a "heroic soldier."
 EFE
3/1/17
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