Istanbul terror attack: Police detain 8 people, suspect gunman still at large

Ankara: Turkish Police have detained at least eight people in connection with the deadly Islamic State terror attack at nightclub on New Year's Eve in which 39 people were killed, including two Indians, a media report said on Monday.

According to the Associated Press, the suspected gunman involved in the attack is not among those detained by the Turkish Police.

In a statement circulated on social media, the jihadist group said one of the "soldiers of the caliphate" had carried out the attack on the Reina nightclub.

At least 600 revellers were celebrating in the New Year at Istanbul's Reina nightclub when a gunman began firing indiscriminately.

A massive manhunt is currently underway to nab the gunman.

"We hope the attacker will be captured soon," Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.

The identities of 35 victims killed in the attack have been confirmed - 24 have been identified as foreign citizens, while 11 were reported to be Turkish citizens, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

The foreign victims were identified as seven Saudi Arabian nationals, two Indians, one Canadian, one Syrian, one Israeli, two Tunisians, four Iraqis, one Lebanese and one Belgian.

As the search continued, the first funerals were held on Sunday.

Istanbul was already on high alert with some 17,000 police officers on duty in the city, following a string of terror attacks in recent months.

With agency inputs