Istanbul nightclub attacker an Uzbek jihadist: reports

Istanbul

THE attacker who shot dead 39 people on New Year's night at an Istanbul nightclub has been identified as an Uzbek jihadist who belongs to the extremist Islamic State (IS) group, Turkish press reports said.

There had been confusion over the identity of the attacker - who remains on the run - with reports initially suggesting a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China.