Turkish Prime Minister Says Early Signs "Point to ISIS" in Istanbul Airport Attack
Speaking to reporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, the site of a series of deadly explosions Tuesday night, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that initial findings suggest ISIS was behind the attack.So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the bombings, CNN reports.
“According to analyses by our security forces, first indications point at Daesh as perpetrators,” said Yildirim, using another name for ISIS, according to Bloomberg. “What is noteworthy is that this attack came at a time when our country is putting up a merciless fight against separatist terrorism and recording significant success.”
Additionally, Yildirim updated the current death toll to 36 and said that three suicide bombers were involved in the terror attack witnesses described as a chaotic, bloody scene. From Al Jazeera:
The attackers opened fire at airport guards at the terminal entrance, and a shootout erupted before they blew themselves up one by one at around 10pm, authorities said.
Security camera footage circulated on social media appeared to capture two of the blasts. In one clip a huge ball of flame erupts at an entrance to the terminal building, scattering terrified passengers.
Another video shows a black-clad attacker running inside the building before collapsing to the ground - apparently felled by a police bullet - and blowing himself up.
“We came right to international departures and saw the man randomly shooting,” eyewitness Paul Roos told Reuters. “He was just firing at anyone coming in front of him. He was wearing all black. His face was not masked. I was 50 meters away from him.”
“He turned around and started coming toward us. He was holding his gun inside his jacket. He looked around anxiously to see if anyone was going to stop him and then went down the escalator ... We heard some more gunfire and then another explosion, and then it was over.”