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Reports: police question Istanbul nightclub attacker

Associated Press
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An unidentified man is subdued, detained during a police operation to capture Reina club attacker, in Istanbul, Turkey, late Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. Turkish media reports say police have caught the gunman who killed 39 people during New Year's celebrations on an Istanbul nightclub, detained during a police operation. (Depo Photos via AP) (The Associated Press)

Istanbul Gov. Vasip Sahin, left, accompanied by Police Chief Mustafa Caliskan, talks to the media during a news conference regarding the arrest of a suspect of New Year's nightclub attack in Istanbul, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Police said they had caught the gunman who killed 39 people at the attack on a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations. Sachin said it's clear that the attack was carried out on behalf of the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) (The Associated Press)

A Turkish police armored vehicle is driven into Istanbul's headquarters prior to a news conference regarding the arrest of a suspect of New Year's nightclub attack, in Istanbul, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Turkish officials on Tuesday confirmed that the gunman who carried out the deadly New Year's attack on an Istanbul nightclub, which was claimed by the Islamic State group, has been detained. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) (The Associated Press)

Turkish media reports say police in Istanbul have begun questioning a suspected Islamic State militant accused of killing 39 people during a New Year's attack on an Istanbul nightclub.

The gunman, which media reports identified as Uzbekistan national Abdulgadir Masharipov, was caught late Monday in a police operation at a luxury residential complex in Istanbul. The state-run Anadolu Agency said a man from Kyrgyzstan and three women — from Somalia, Senegal and Egypt — were detained in the raid, while his 4-year old son was taken under protective custody.

Private NTV television said Masharipov was being questioned at Istanbul's police headquarters on Tuesday.

Anadolu said police have also carried out raids on members of a suspected Uzbek IS cell in five Istanbul neighborhoods, and detained several people.