ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attack on a nightclub in Istanbul that killed 39 people on New Year's Eve.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group released on Monday a statement claiming responsibility for the raid.
"In continuation of the blessed operations that Islamic State is conducting against the protector of the cross, Turkey, a heroic soldier of the caliphate struck one of the most famous nightclubs where the Christians celebrate their apostate holiday," the statement said.
The announcement came as a manhunt was under way in Turkey for at least one assailant who attacked those celebrating New Year at the Reina nightclub.
The Reina lies on the shore of the Bosphorus Strait and is one of Istanbul's best-known nightclubs, popular with locals and tourists alike. During the attack, some partygoers who managed to flee jumped into the freezing cold Bosphorus strait to escape harm.
Al Jazeera's Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from Istanbul, said: "The ISIL statement doesn't say whether the attacker was trained by ISIL or simply pledged allegiance to the group and carried out the attack alone.
"There had been concensus emerging behind the scenes, and reports in Turkish media, indicating officialS believed ISIL was behind the attack."
He added that the mood in the busy Turkish city was "sombre and sad".
Turkey is currently in a state of emergency.
"People are very scared. This is the fourth attack to hit Turkey in less than a month ... There is a sense here in Istanbul of astonishment as to how this could have happened at a time when there were tens of thousands of officers on the streets to prevent an attack on New Year's Eve."
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