Welcome to Africanews

Please select your experience

Watch Live

News

news

Dozens killed, several injured in twin blasts at Turkey's Ataturk airport

Turkey

Dozens have been killed and several others injured in twin blasts that rocked Tukey’s Ataturk airport in the capital Istanbul.

Police believe Islamic State was behind the deadly attacks on Tuesday evening, Dogan News Agency reports.

Even though Dogan cited police sources as saying ISIS is behind the attack, a Turkish official maintains that it is too early to confirm any links relative to the Dogan report.

Explosions at Istanbul Ataturk airport kill at least 10, wound several people – officials https://t.co/sHwtV1FKbC pic.twitter.com/KnUMrZHXzR

— euronews (@euronews) June 28, 2016

According to a government official suicide bombers blew themselves up at the airport.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag is quoted by Reuters to have said, “According to information I have received, at the entrance to the Ataturk Airport international terminal a terrorist first opened fire with a kalashnikov and then blew themselves up.”

#breaking Gun shots and two explosions hit #Istanbul's Ataturk #Airport, multiple injuries pic.twitter.com/DvjmPs7bU0

— euronews (@euronews) June 28, 2016

Ataturk is Turkey’s largest airport and a major transport hub for international travellers. Pictures posted on social media from the site showed wounded people lying on the ground inside and outside one of the terminal buildings. With the state run Anadolu news agency putting the number of injured around 60.

Turkey has been rocked by a string of terror attacks over the past year executed by both ISIS and Kurdish militants.

View more