36 Dead in Coordinated Suicide Attacks at Istanbul Airport

According to CNN, Turkish officials say the suicide bomber attack on Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport has resulted in the deaths of 36 people and injuries to more than 140 others.

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The death toll, initially reported at 10, gradually increased throughout the night.

Three attackers were involved in the assault, and according to Turkish news sources, explosions and gunfire occurred in the international arrivals terminal.

Flights to and from the airport have been suspended following the attack.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the attack and called for a “common struggle” against terrorism.

The United States condemned the “horrific” attack, stating that America “stands firmly with Turkey.”

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: “We mourn the victims… and stand by Turkey.”

According to Turkey’s Justice Minister, one of the attackers opened fire on people with a Kalashnikov rifle. It was reported that when security forces moved to confront the attackers, they detonated the bombs they were carrying.

In the minutes immediately following the attack, taxis were also used to transport the injured to hospitals.

The official Anadolu news agency said approximately 60 people were wounded, with 6 of them in critical condition.

BBC correspondent Mark Lowen, reporting from the scene, says the Istanbul airport attack appears to have been a major, coordinated assault.

According to him, Atatürk Airport has always been considered a vulnerable target. Although X-ray machines are present at the terminal entrance, vehicle inspection checkpoints are limited.

The Istanbul Governor stated: “Three suicide bombers carried out the attack. Twenty-eight people lost their lives. Sixty people were also wounded.”

Sossi Roos, a resident of Cape Town, South Africa, who was at the airport, told the Associated Press: “We saw a man moving about. He was wearing black clothes and carrying a handgun.”

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, whose capital was targeted in attacks in March, tweeted from within a European Union leaders meeting in Brussels: “Our thoughts are with the victims of the Istanbul airport attacks. We condemn these brutal, ruthless acts.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the attack.

Ban’s spokesperson said: “The Secretary-General expresses his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Turkey, and wishes for the rapid recovery of the wounded.”

Ban emphasized the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism.

Atatürk Airport was recognized last year as Europe’s busiest airport, surpassing Frankfurt Airport and ranking behind London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle. In 2015, more than 61 million passengers passed through this airport.

Turkey has been the scene of violence and suicide attacks on multiple occasions in recent months.

In December, an explosion at another Istanbul airport killed a janitor.

Recent bombings in the country have been attributed to separatists or the Islamic State group (ISIS).

The US State Department initially issued a warning against travel to Turkey in March. This alert was reiterated on Monday.

Mark Toner, a US State Department spokesman, also condemned the attack in a statement on Tuesday evening.

While expressing sympathy with the families of the victims, he said: “We declare solidarity with Turkey, our NATO ally, in the fight against terrorism… This type of attack only strengthens our resolve to cooperate with the Turkish government to combat the scourge of terrorism…”