SAN FRANCISCO, June 28, (THEWILL) – At least 36 people have been killed and 147 others injured following two blasts at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, an international airport in Istanbul, regarded as one of the world’s busiest airports, on the basis of number of international passengers, Turkey.
Minister of Justice, Bekir Bozdag, confirmed the fatalities as he told Turkish state broadcaster TRT that two attackers opened fire with machine guns and detonated suicide belts outside the international terminal before passing the first security checkpoint.
The attack took place at around 10 p.m. local time which is a busy time for the airport with flights arriving from Europe and leaving for the Persian Gulf and other parts of the region.
There are indications that the wounded, among them police officers, were being transferred to Bakirkoy State Hospital.
Turkey has suffered several bombings in recent months, including two in Istanbul, which have been linked to Kurdish or Islamic State group militants.
Just yesterday (Monday), the U.S. State Department updated its travel warning for Turkey, advising that foreign and U.S. tourists have been explicitly targeted by international and indigenous terrorist organizations –- including explicitly “aviation services.”
THEWILL recalls that the U.S., In March, ordered the departure of family members of U.S. Government personnel posted to the U.S. Consulate in Adana and family members of U.S. Government civilians in Izmir province through July 26, 2016.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which intelligence personnel say has the hallmark of ISIS.
Story by David Oputah
