Who is Abdulkadir Masharipov? New Year’s Eve Istanbul nightclub ‘attacker’ arrested in Turkey
Turkish security forces captured the suspected gunman who killed 39 people at the Reina nightclub attack on New Year's Eve
A GUNMAN who carried out a terror attack on a nightclub in Turkey as revellers were celebrating the new year managed to evade capture for 17 days.
But now cops have arrested the man they believe was behind the brutal attack.
Who is Abdulkadir Masharipov?
He is the number one suspect over the killing of 39 people at a nightclub in Istanbul, in the early hours of January 1.
The attack was claimed by ISIS and sparked a massive manhunt to catch the alleged terrorist, after he was named by police.
The Uzbek national is said to have arrived in the Turkish capital on December 15, just over a fortnight before the attack.
He is thought to be the man behind the rampage which left almost 40 dead and injured 70.
Despite large police presence in the city due to fears over such an attack, the gunman managed to get away.
It is believed he travelled to Konya, in the centre of Turkey, with his wife and two children in November, before making his way to Istanbul.
He is thought to have had experience of fighting in Syria.
After he was named by police as the suspect his wife denied all knowledge of his allegedly loyalty to ISIS.
It was reported he told her he was going away in search of work, after they rented a flat for £250-a-month.
He was arrested on January 17, in a house 25 miles from where the attack was carried out, days after his wife were caught in a police operation.
What happened in the attack?
The Reina nightclub was full on New Year's Eve as at least 600 people celebrated the new year.
But as they partied into the early hours of New Year's Day a man brandishing a Kalashnikov wreaked havoc by firing into the crowd, after arriving by taxi and shooting dead a policeman and civilian at the club entrance.
He fired some 120 bullets in a seven-minute rampage before evading capture and disappearing.
It was thought he used armour piercing bullets to cause maximum damage and casualties.
A witness told Turkish newspaper Hurriyet he had used flash grenades before firing the fun.
Thirty nine people died in the shooting, with 70 others injured.
The victims included citizens of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Iraq, France, Tunisia, India, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Canada, Israel, Syria, Belgium, Germany and Russia.
Who claimed the Istanbul attack?
ISIS claimed the attack two days after it took place.
It is thought the man arrested over the shocking killings was specially selected by the terrorist group.
In a statement released on January 2, the organisation said: "In continuation of the blessed operations that Islamic State is conducting against the protector of the cross, Turkey, a heroic soldier of the caliphate struck one of the most famous nightclubs where the Christians celebrate their apostate holiday.”
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