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Turkish police officially announced on Saturday the identity of the bomber who targeted Istanbul's Reina nightclub on New Year's Eve, killing 39 people and injuring 65.

According to Turkish news service Haberturk, the attacker was named as Abdel Kader Mcharipov is from East Turkestan in China.

A Turkish reporter from the Kanal D TV channel said a police patrol had stopped Mcharipov after the shooting, but he was able to deceive them into thinking he was a victim, as shown in a video broadcasted by the channel.

The reporter was able to gain access into the nightclub, in which about 20 Arabs were killed, after police had blocked access because of the ongoing investigation.

The images aired by the channel revealed the devastation caused by the attack, including the belongings of the victims, which varied between shoes and clothes left in place as they tried to escape.

According to the reporter, the killer was able to bypass the checkpoint after telling police he was suffering from a hand injury, as the video showed.

Turkish newspaper Hurriyet said during the "Ask Hurriyet" program aired by the newspaper via Facebook, the bomber deliberately injured himself.