The list

Reina in Istanbul joins Pulse in Orlando, Le Bataclan in Paris, the Sari in Bali, and the Hippodrome in Mali in the class of nightclubs that have been the scene of terrorist mass murders by Islamists. It’s not yet known that the mass murderer at the Reina in Istanbul is an Islamist, but slaughtering people at nightclubs is a fad with Islamists and not with anyone else (that I know of).

Police in Istanbul are hunting for a gunman who opened fire at a well-known nightclub, killing at least 39 people.

The attack happened at Reina nightclub early on Sunday, as hundreds of revellers marked the new year.

Officials say some 15 foreigners were killed, including citizens from Israel, France, Tunisia, Lebanon, India, Belgium, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

The killer escaped into the crowd.

The attack unfolded some 75 minutes into the new year as around 700 people gathered in the waterside Reina club, one of Istanbul’s most upmarket venues.

The attacker shot dead a policeman and a security guard at the entrance before heading into the club, which is popular with celebrities and foreigners.

At least 69 people are being treated in hospital, officials said, with three in a serious condition.

The motive for the attack is not clear, but suspicion has fallen on the Islamic State group.

Or a freelance fan of said group, or a rival Islamist group, or who knows. But not everyone with a political grievance and a determination to murder wants to target people in nightclubs. There’s a particular ideology behind that choice of target.

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