At least 28 people were killed and 60 left wounded after a suicide attack at a Turkish airport tonight.
Turkish officials confirmed two explosions were detonated at the international hub, the country’s main airport. A flurry of gunfire was also heard by fleeing witnesses, as the attackers and police engaged in a shoot out, with the suicide bombers wielding AK-47s.
Initial reports stated 10 people had been killed but the death toll has now risen to 28, Istanbul’s governor said, which could still rise. Of the 60 wounded at least six are thought to be seriously injured in the ‘co-ordinated’ attack.
One person at the scene saw a brave police officer wrestle a suicide bomber to the ground, then the attacker detonated his bomb.
Harrowing photos from the scene, which Express.co.uk have chosen not to publish, showed severely injured people lying on the ground in pools of blood. In some images, at least four bodies can be seen strewn outside the terminal entrance.
At least three suicide bombers are thought to be behind the deadly attack. Turkish officials have claimed it was a joint suicide attack, with two suspected attackers blowing themselves up near the security check-in at the international terminal.
It is thought the trio were trying to pass through the x-ray check point when they were stopped by security. Footage allegedly from the scene showed passengers cowering on the floor while others shout: “Get down.”
Other clips showed terrified travellers hunkering down and hiding in shops. Speaking in parliament, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag 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.”
An abandoned kalashnikov was photographed on the floor of the airport, reportedly one of the weapons used in the chilling attack. Some police who retaliated in a bid to stop the attackers before they reached a security checkpoint are said to be among the wounded, but this has yet to be officially confirmed.