ISIS Behind Istanbul Reina Nightclub Attack, Search For Gunman Underway

UPDATE: 6:30 a.m. EST — Turkish media shared video footage of the gunman inside the Istanbul nightclub where the assailant killed 39 people and injured 70 others. The authenticity of the video could not be confirmed, BBC reported.

A manhunt is currently underway for the suspect, who is believed to be in his 20s.

Original story:

The Islamic State group, also called ISIS, has claimed responsibility for an attack at a popular nightclub in Istanbul early Sunday that killed 39 people and injured 70 others, the group said in a statement Monday.

"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," the statement said.

The terrorist organization was already believed to be responsible for the attack at Reina nightclub. The confirmation by ISIS comes as authorities have launched a massive manhunt for the gunman who opened fire at the popular club.

Hurriyet and Karar newspapers reported Monday, citing unnamed security officials, that authorities determined the gunman came from a Central Asian nation, believed to be either Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan. The gunman, who killed a policeman and another man outside the Reina club before firing at people partying inside, reportedly fired up to 180 bullets.

The unidentified assailant arrived by taxi at the venue and rushed through the entrance with a long-barreled gun he had taken from the boot of the car. The gunman was in his mid-20s and spoke broken Turkish, police reportedly said late Sunday.

Police also established similarities with the Ataturk Airport attack of June 2016 that killed 47 people and injured more than 230 people. Authorities are reportedly investigating if the same ISIS cell carried out both the attacks.

Another article in Hurriyet claimed that Turkey received intelligence from the U.S. on Saturday warning of the risk of attacks by ISIS in Istanbul and Ankara on New Year's night. The report added that the intelligence did not specify the location of possible targets.

The banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said that it was not behind the attack as the group would "never target innocent civilians."

Turkish justice ministry sources said late Sunday that the victims of the attack have been identified. Eleven of the dead were Turkish nationals and one was a Turkish-Belgium dual-national, according to Al Jazeera. Seven victims were from Saudi Arabia, three were from Lebanon and Iraq each, and two nationals each from Tunisia, India, Morocco and Jordan were killed. Kuwait, Canada, Israel, Syria and Russia all lost one citizen in the attack, while one victim remains unidentified.