Police capture key suspect in Istanbul New Year attack

A 34-year-old Uzbek man suspected of slaughtering 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Eve confessed to the massacre on Tuesday (January 17th), hours after his capture in a police raid, AFP reported.

Authorities detained Abdulkadir Masharipov, who spent 17 days on the run after the attack claimed by the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL), along with three women and an Iraqi man, during a massive police operation in Istanbul.

"The terrorist confessed his crime," Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin said, adding that the suspect's fingerprints matched those of the attacker and confirming he is an Uzbek national.

"He was trained in Afghanistan and can speak four languages. He is a well-trained terrorist," the governor said, noting that Masharipov is believed to have first entered Turkey last January.

Police also confiscated $197,000, two firearms and clips during the raid on an apartment, he said, adding that the operation involved some 2,000 police officers.

Days of police tracking eventually traced Masharipov to an apartment in the Esenyurt district.

An Iraqi man was detained with him, as well as three women, one an Egyptian citizen and two others from African states, Sahin said.

"It is clear that the attack was carried out on behalf of ISIL," Sahin said, adding that the other four suspects were likely linked to the group.

A total of 50 people have now been detained in the investigation as a result of 152 raids since the attack, he said.

Of the 39 killed in the attack, 27 were foreigners, including citizens from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq and Morocco.