Istanbul nightclub attacker from Uzbekistan, admits guilt: governor

ISTANBUL: The suspected gunman who killed 39 people in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day was born in Uzbekistan and received training in Afghanistan, Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said on Tuesday after police caught him in a city suburb.

Sahin told reporters that the alleged attacker, whom he named as Abdulgadir Masharipov, born in 1983, had admitted his guilt and his fingerprints matched those at the scene.

There were strong indications that the suspect, who spoke four languages, had entered Turkey illegally through its eastern borders, Sahin said, adding that it was clear the attack was carried out on behalf of Islamic State.