Istanbul nightclub attack: Two Indians among those killed

Two Indian nationals were among the 15 foreigners who were killed in the New Year shooting rampage at a nightclub in Istanbul.

Abis Rizvi, the son of a former MP, and a woman, Khushi Shah, lost their lives, India's external affairs minister told AFP.

Thirty-nine people were killed and 65 injured after a gunman went on a shooting spree in the high-end Reina club where up to 700 people were ringing in the New Year.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said that of 20 victims identified so far, 15 were foreigners and five were Turks.

"There are foreigners and Turks, but the majority are foreigners. From different countries -- Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Lebanon, Libya," said Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin called it a "terror attack", the latest to strike Turkey after a wave of assaults by Islamic State jihadists and Kurdish militants.

No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the nightclub horror. A manhunt has been launched for the assailant, who is still at large.

(WION with inputs from AFP)