Three suicide bombers detonated explosives late Tuesday at Istanbul’s international airport, killing at least 36 people and wounding 147 others, city Governor Vasip Sahin said. Death toll was initially placed at 10 but more persons have since been numbered among the dead. The gunmen opened fire at passengers and detonated bombs to add to their fatal fantasy.
State television said one of several explosions occurred near a control point at an entry to the international arrival terminal. Witnesses said police shot at one attacker after he opened fire with what was later described as a Kalashnikov rifle. Video later showed the man blowing himself up.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which came as the Ankara government grapples with the twin threats of Islamist extremism and an armed Kurdish rebellion in Turkey’s southeast. However, officials of Turkey government are pointing to ISIS.
Late Tuesday, a French intelligence official told VOA that emerging details of the airport blasts matched more closely with Islamic State extremist tactics than those of Kurdish militants. The official did not elaborate.
One witness described the scene to VOA’s Turkish service: “There were two small explosions and then a large one. People scattered everywhere. They didn’t know where to go. We were waiting for my sister, but couldn’t find her. We’re [still] waiting.”
A second witness also sought to give words to the chaos. “In one direction there were shots, in another direction there were bombs, and people ran out as fast as they could and there were people bleeding on the sidewalk.”
The attack triggered a closed session of the Turkish parliament, where opposition leaders were expected to question Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag about details of a recent U.S. travel warning for Turkey. MPs also were believed to be focusing on whether any security lapses could have contributed to the airport attack.
