Death Toll Rises to 36 in Istanbul Airport Attack

Death toll rose to 36 in the terror attack on Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport, while scores of others were injured, Turkeys Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Wednesday.

    Briefing the media, Yildirim condemned the attack and extended condolences to the victims' families while he confirmed that airport operations had resumed. Our airport has been reopened to flights as of 02.20 a.m. (2320GMT) and air traffic has returned to normal, he said. 

    Even though there are strong indications that the ISIS group is responsible for the attack in which three suicide bombers are believed to have been involved, the prime minister said police are conducting ongoing investigations, according to Anadolu Agency (AA).

    Asked whether an attacker may have escaped authorities in the chaos of the attack, Yildirim denied the claim but stressed that security officials are considering all possibilities. We have injured people. Many of our wounded have been lightly injured, he said. Some foreign nationals were also injured, he added. 

    The attackers arrived at the airport by a taxi, according to Yildirim, but he said there is no security gap at the airport. Police are still at the scene hours after the attack and access to and from the airport that had been blocked has been restored. 

    The attack comes just two weeks after a bomb blast hit a police vehicle in Istanbul's central Beyazit area. Seven police officers and four civilians were killed in that attack and 36 others wounded.

Source : QNA