ISTANBUL, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Thirty-five people were killed and 40 others wounded in a shooting attack on a popular nightclub in Istanbul early Sunday morning, said Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin.
Sahin said the terror attack was carried out by one single gunman in the Reina nightclub in the district of Besiktas.
A security analyst, who declined to be named, told Xinhua that the attacker killed the security guards before storming into the club, which reportedly gathered as many as 400 for New Year celebration.
The analyst said the gunman, who was dressed as Father Christmas and speaking Arabic, changed his ammunition clip several times in the shooting spree.
Turkey's NTV said hostages were being held inside the club and some jumped into the sea to escape, as the night club is close to the Bosporus Strait, prompting a rescue operation by coast guards.
NTV also said a special operation team was conducting a search in the club.
Security measures have reportedly been enforced in Ankara and Istanbul for New Year celebrations, including banning the entry of trucks, lorries and concrete mixers into some districts.
Istanbul and other Turkish cities came under a spate of deadly attacks in the past year, with the last one hitting Besiktas on Dec. 10, when two suicide bombing attacks left 44 dead.
