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Terrorism Inc sick minds |
Fifteen or 16 non-Turkish citizens were killed in a gun attack on an Istanbul night club on Sunday, Turkish officials announced.
The attack during the New Year celebrations claimed the lives of at
least 39 people and injured nearly 70.
According to Turkey’s interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, “15 or 16” of
those killed were foreigners. Just over 20 bodies have been identified
so far, the minister said, adding that 69 people have been hospitalized,
of whom at least four are in critical condition.
Read People from over 10 countries among Istanbul nightclub attack victims.
Jordan
has confirmed the death of at least three of its citizens, Petra news
agency reported, citing its foreign ministry in Amman, adding that four
other Jordanians were wounded, some of whom are in critical condition.
Two Tunisian citizens were among those killed, according to the
country’s foreign ministry.
An American citizen has been injured as result of the attack, State
Department spokesman Michael Tran confirmed, without giving any details
on the identity of the person or their condition, CNN reports.
On Sunday, the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul confirmed the
death of a Russian woman in the attack. A consulate official told RIA
Novosti that the woman was initially thought to be an Azeri citizen, but
documents confirmed her Russian citizenship.
"There were no other Russian citizens among those killed or wounded in
the terrorist attack," the consulate official said, adding that the
identification procedure for the deceased woman has been scheduled for
Tuesday.
France has confirmed that one of its citizens, a woman with dual
French-Tunisian citizenship, was killed in the attack at the night club.
“Her husband, who was a Tunisian citizen, also died,” France’s Foreign
Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said. Three French citizens were wounded.
The Belgian Foreign Ministry reported on Twitter that it feared one of
the deceased may be from Belgium.
Two Lebanese nationals have been confirmed dead. Lebanese authorities
said five of the country’s citizens were injured in the attack,
including the daughter of an MP.
Israel confirmed that one of its citizens, a 19-year-old girl, was among
the dead.
Three Moroccans were injured, the Moroccan foreign ministry said.
Kuwait has lost one of its citizens in the attack, Deputy Foreign
Minister Khaled Suleiman al-Jarallah told the Kuwait News Agency on
Sunday. Four Kuwaiti citizens are being treated for injuries suffered in
the attack, while another one has been released from the hospital.
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirmed that two Indian
nationals, including the son of a former MP, have died in the shooting.
“I have bad news from Turkey. We have lost 2 Indian nationals in the
Istanbul attack,” she wrote in a Twitter post, adding that the Indian
ambassador in Turkey is heading to Istanbul to assist the families of
the deceased Indians who are to fly there from India.
Up to 600 people are believed to have been inside the club at the time
of the attack. Located in the Ortakoy neighborhood on the shores of
Istanbul’s Bosphorus waterway, the venue is a popular spot with many
nightclubs, art galleries, and restaurants that attract foreigners.
Turkey’s Anadolu state news agency has reported that at least 27
foreigners were among the victims of the nightclub attack, citing
anonymous sources in the Justice Ministry.
"I have been living in Ortakoy for the past [few] months and this
particular area has a [high] expat population.
So, one of the main reasons behind this attack could be because [its
organizers] wanted to scare the expat community. This is also a very
famous tourist area, and the club that was attacked is very famous not
only among expats, but also among local celebrities," a woman in
Istanbul told RT.
Those behind the attack "are targeting a certain kind of people, a
certain way of life," another man said, while a third local man told RT
he thought the attackers "wanted to scare the international people who
come here for fun."