Mateen told police he was ‘Islamic soldier’

The Florida nightclub killer called himself an “Islamic soldier” and threatened to strap hostages into explosive vests in calls with police during the three-hour siege, according to transcripts released by the FBI on Monday.

From inside the Orlando nightclub, the gunman, Omar Mateen told the police negotiators to tell America to stop bombing Syria and Iraq and that was why he was “out here right now”. No explosive vests or bombs were found in the club or the suspect’s car.

The conversations shed more light on the possible motivations of Mateen, who killed 49 people in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.