Istanbul attacker ‘‘fought for IS in Syria’’

The gunman who killed 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub had fought in Syria for Islamic State jihadists, a report said on Tuesday, as Turkish authorities intensified their hunt for the attacker.

Police released pictures of the suspect who went on the rampage at the plush Reina nightclub on New Year’s night, spraying some 120 bullets at terrified guests before slipping away into the night.

Of the 39 dead, 27 were foreigners, mainly from Arab countries, with coffins repatriated overnight to countries including Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

The Islamic State group yesterday claimed the massacre, the first time it has clearly stated being behind a major attack in Turkey.

The government said yesterday that eight people had been detained but media reports said the number had increased to 12 after new detentions in the Anatolian city of Konya.

The Dogan news agency said they included a woman suspected of being his wife but gave no further details.

The Hurriyet daily said the attacker showed signs of being well trained in the use of arms and had fought in Syria for IS jihadists. Hurriyet’s well-connected columnist Abdulkadir Selvi said the attacker had been identified, with investigators focusing on the idea he was from Central Asia.

Selvi said he had been trained in street fighting in residential areas in Syria and used these techniques in the attack, shooting from the hip rather than as a sniper. AGENCIES

Turkish authorities on Tuesday detained two foreign nationals at Istanbul’s main airport over suspected links to a nightclub attack claimed by Islamic State jihadists that killed 39, Dogan news agency said.