Chilling Terror! 39 Shot Dead by 'Santa Claus' Gunman in New Year Nightclub Bloodbath...See Details (Photos)

New Year's Celebrations in a Turkish nightclub ended in a bloodbath when a gunman dressed as Santa Claus opened fire killing at least 39 people and injuring dozens more. 

An injured woman is carried to an ambulance from a nightclub where a gun attack took place during a New Year party in Istanbul, Turkey, January 1, 2017.

 

At least 39 people were slaughtered and dozens wounded after the gunman opened fire in an Istanbul nightclub packed with New Year’s Eve revellers.

 

Turkish interior minister, Suleyman Soylu said 15 foreign nationals had been identified among the dead at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul.

 

The "terrorist" was still at large after striking alone in the attack, in which he changed clothes and injured a further 69 people in the early hours of Sunday, Mr Soylu said.

 

The first chilling clip of the attacker lurking among the bloodbath in the city’s Reina club has surfaced. The attacker can be seen wandering around the venue moments after he went on a bullet spraying rampage.

 

 

It is thought the attacker, who was carrying a long-barrelled weapon, stormed the nightclub wearing a Santa fancy dress outfit. The footage, filmed inside the club, was posted to Twitter by Turkish journalist, Ürün Dirier.

 

Armed police scrambled to the venue as terrified clubbers fled for their lives towards the Bosphorous channel.

 

There had been up to 600 people in the club at the time of the attack. "A manhunt for the terrorist is underway. Police have launched operations. We hope the attacker will be captured soon," he told reporters. "This was a massacre, a truly inhuman savagery," he added.

 

SUSPECT: Footage appears to captured the gunman entering the venue

 

Anti-terror cops are believed to have exchanged fire with the gunmen, who is still said to be on the loose.

 

Turkish President, Erdogan says Turkey is determined to "destroy source of threats and attacks against it".

 

"As a nation, we will fight to the end against not just the armed attacks of terror groups and the forces behind them, but also against their economic, political and social attacks," Erdogan said in a written statement.

 

"They are trying to create chaos, demoralize our people, and destabilize our country with abominable attacks which target civilians ... We will retain our cool-headedness as a nation, standing more closely together, and we will never give ground to such dirty games," he said.

 

 

Interior minister, Süleyman Soylu described the atrocity as a “terror attack”.

 

Istanbul governor, Vasip Sahin said the "terror attack" began when the assailant, armed with a long-barrelled weapon, killed a policeman and a civilian outside the club.

 

The attacker then entered the club in the Ortakoy district and fired at partygoers at around 1.45am local time, Mr Sahin said.

 

"Unfortunately (he) rained bullets in a very cruel and merciless way on innocent people who were there to celebrate New Year's and have fun," he added.