Istanbul nightclub attacker identified, Turkey says, as police continue manhunt

ISTANBUL — Turkish authorities have identified the gunman who fatally shot dozens of revelers at a nightclub in Istanbul on New Year’s, Turkey’s top diplomat said Wednesday, as police stepped up raids on suspected militant hideouts in a hunt for the attacker.

Despite the apparent breakthrough in the investigation, the government did not immediately name the gunman or disseminate his photograph, although he remains at large. The dearth of information deepened a sense of public unease and confusion over the attack, which occurred even though Turkish authorities have blanketed the country with security in recent months.

The rampage on Sunday, which killed 39 people from more than a dozen countries, was claimed by the Islamic State and marked one of the worst mass killings in Turkey in recent memory. The country has been reeling from a steady stream of violence, including the assassination of the Russian ambassador last month and earlier bombings targeting police and tourist sites.

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu news agency, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu gave no further details on the suspect’s identity but said the investigation is ongoing.

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