According to reports this morning it is believed that at least 35 people have been killed, and about 40 others have been seriously injured following a brutal attack at an Istanbul nightclub.
The horrific events which occurred during the Turkish capitals celebration of the new year occurred at approximately 1:45am this morning when a gunman reportedly dressed as Santa Claus entered the busy nightclub in the Besiktas region of the city and began firing at random individuals who were celebrating the start of 2017.
The tragic and devastating news was confirmed by city’s governor, Vasip Sahin, who said the attacker, armed with a long-barrelled weapon, killed a policeman and a civilian outside the Reina club at about 1.45am before moving inside.
Although it is not yet clear how many gunmen were involved, conflicting reports suggest there was more than one shooter involved, with Turkish media claiming one gunman has been killed whilst another remains at large in the city.
Meanwhile Turkish police have confirmed they have launched a full scale operation to determine what happened, with initial reports suggesting the massacre was a planned terrorist attack.