Three suicide bombers opened fire in Istanbul’s Ataturk airport on Tuesday before blowing themselves up. Al Jazeera reported that the suicide attack killed at least 36 people and wounded 147.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim indicated that the Islamic State (ISIS) may have carried out the shootings and bombings. One U.S. senior official agreed, telling CNN that the use of weapons and explosives was extremely characteristic of an ISIS-coordinated attack.
CNN reported that one video of the attacks showed a police officer shooting one of the gunman. After hovering above the man briefly, the police officer ran away. An explosion erupted approximately 10 seconds later.
Photos from the scene after the terror attack at #Istanbul‘s airport https://t.co/v1FDhbF6zE pic.twitter.com/wSK45Bufmo
— CNN (@CNN) June 29, 2016
“The attack, which took place during the holy month of Ramadan, shows that terrorism strikes with no regard for faith and values,” Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement, according to Reuters. “The bombs that exploded in Istanbul today could have gone off at any airport in any city around the world.”
This was the fourth terror attack in Istanbul this year. Erdogan called for all governments to join forces against terrorism, rather than a select few dealing with the global threat in a gradual manner.
“Make no mistake: For terrorist organizations, there is no difference between Istanbul and London, Ankara and Berlin, Izmir and Chicago or Antalya and Rome. Unless all governments and the entire mankind join forces in the fight against terrorism, much worse things than what we fear to imagine today will come true,” said Erdogan, according to CNN.
The Ataturk airport is the third-busiest in Europe, the 11th-busiest in the world, and the largest in Turkey in terms of visitors per day. Officials say that most of the casualties were Turkish residents, although others from around the world were killed as well. Following the attacks, the airport could be closed for up to 48 hours.
In a statement, the White House said, “Ataturk International Airport, like Brussels Airport which was attacked earlier this year, is a symbol of international connections and the ties that bind us together.” The attack resembles the Brussels Airport attack that killed 32 people in March, which was perpetrated by the Islamic State.