At least 39 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in an attack on a popular nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey's interior minister stated.
The minister, Suleyman Soylu, added that police are hunting one "terrorist" after the attack that hit the night spot in Ortakoy neighbourhood at around 1:45am on Sunday.
Governor Vasip Sahin said the attacker, armed with a long-barreled weapon, killed a policeman and a civilian outside the Reina club before entering and firing on people partying inside.
"A terrorist with a long-range weapon ... brutally and savagely carried out this incident by firing bullets on innocent people who were there solely to celebrate the New Year and have fun," he said at the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing at least one gunman at the nightclub and local media reports said one attacker had been killed.
Sixty-nine people were in hospital after the attack, Soylu said, adding that 15 or 16 foreigners were among the dead.
Some survivors jumped into the waters of the Bosphorus to save themselves and were being rescued by police.
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| The Reina nightclub in Ortakoy neighbourhood was packed with New Year's revellers [Reuters] |
Dozens of ambulances and police vehicles were dispatched to the attack site.
The Reina lies on the shore of the Bosphorus Strait and is one of Istanbul's best-known nightclubs, popular with locals and tourists alike.
Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from the scene, said he saw several survivors rushing to taxis to leave after being cleared to leave the club by police.
"What security services will be trying to ascertain is not only how many attackers there were but what kind of weapons were used and how they were able to overcome security precautions," he stated.
2017 starts with an attack in #Istanbul. Our thoughts are with victims and their loved ones. We continue to work to prevent these tragedies
— Federica Mogherini (@FedericaMog) January 1, 2017
About 700 people were thought to have been in the nightclub when the attack happened, broadcaster CNN Turk said, citing officials.
Ortakoy is a cosmopolitan neighbourhood located under one of three bridges crossing the Bosphorus, and home to clubs, restaurants and art galleries.
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| Sunday's shooting is the latest in a long line of attacks to hit Istanbul [Osman Orsal/Reuters] |
There has been no claim of responsibility so far for the attack, but experts say the needle of suspicion points at the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, which has repeatedly targeted civilians in Turkey in recent months.
Al Jazeera's Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, said security services believe the timing and target suggest ISIL involvement. Eight ISIL members had been detained, suspected of preparing a suicide attack on New Year's Eve, she stated.
The Reina nightclub is not only frequented by partygoers but also used as a venue by businessmen and diplomats to conduct meetings, she stated.
Koseoglu said those in the club reported seeing up to three attackers, carrying kalashnikovs.
An eyewitness quoted by the Hurriyet newspaper said she had seen two attackers.
"Two people were shooting with weapons," she stated. "Suddenly people started to run. My husband told me not to be afraid. He jumped on top of me. People ran over me. My man was shot in three places."
Multiple threats
The White House described the attack as "savagery" and said US intelligence services would help Turkish authorities investigate the attack.
Turkey, part of the United States-led coalition against ISIL, faces multiple security threats including fallout from the war in neighbouring Syria.
It has seen repeated attacks and bombings blamed on ISIL, also known as ISIS, as well as Kurdish fighters of the PKK in recent months.
The PKK and its affiliates are known to target mostly members of Turkey's security forces rather than civilians.
The attack comes less than two weeks after the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, was assassinated while giving a speech at an art gallery in the capital Ankara.
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Aljazeera