Another alleged Tajik terrorist is in the headlines following the Istanbul church shooting that on January 28 left one Turkish citizen dead.

One Tajik and one Russian were detained in Istanbul over the shooting during Sunday morning mass. They were described by Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya as members of the Islamic State (IS) extremist organisation.

On January 12, following a spate of terrorist attacks apparently involving Tajik extremists operating outside of Tajikistan, bne IntelliNews explored the rising prominence of Tajiks in such attacks.

In the Istanbul attack, two masked men opened fire at the Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church in the city’s Sariyer district. Following the terror incident, police raided dozens of locations in Istanbul, detaining 47 suspects.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack. 

CCTV released by Turkish media showed the moment of the attack. Worshippers were on their feet, facing the altar. The two gunmen appeared in the back of the church. They seemed to be following a man who had just come in. After he was shot and fatally wounded, the gunmen calmly left.

Yerlikaya visited the scene. He identified the individual who died only as CT.

Speaking to reporters outside the church, Istanbul governor Davut Gul said the victim was a Turkish national, that no one else was hurt and that the attackers only shot at one person.

It was not immediately clear why the victim was targeted.

An uncle of the dead man told local media the victim was 52 years old and was set to become a Christian, but was not yet baptised yet. Another relative said he was mentally ill, while insisting that he was not the target of the attack.

The Pope at the end of his weekly prayer at the Vatican expressed his "closeness to the community of the Santa Maria church".