Turkish authorities have identified the man suspected of gunning down 39 people at a nightclub on New Year's Eve in Istanbul, state media reported on Wednesday, citing Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

    Cavusoglu told Anadolu Agency that the identity of the attacker was known, without giving further details. His comments came hours after the agency reported that five suspects linked to ISIS had been detained as part of the ongoing investigation. They were reportedly being held in Turkey's coastal city of Izmir. 

    The ISIS group claimed responsibility for the attack, in which partygoers, many of them foreign nationals from the Middle East, were killed while ringing in the New Year at Istanbul's upmarket Reina nightclub.

    Anadolu reported that the number of people held in connection with the attack now stands at 43, including the wife of the suspected attacker. However, the main suspect remains on the run.

Source: QNA