At least 28 killed in suicide attack at Istanbul’s airport, officials say

Turkish officials say two suicide bombers carried out an attack on Istanbul's Ataturk airport that's reportedly killed at least 10 people and wounded around 40 others. (Reuters)

By Erin Cunningham June 28 at 5:19 PM

ISTANBUL — Three attackers with suicide vests detonated their explosives at the entrance of Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport, killing at least 28 people and wounding 60 more, Turkish officials said Tuesday night. The attack is likely to raise tensions in Turkey, which has been the target of multiple attacks by militants in recent months.

Istanbul’s airport is one of the world’s busiest, and the bombers targeted the international terminal, a Turkish official said. Police manning a checkpoint at the terminal shot at the attackers as they approached. The attackers then detonated their bombs, the official said.

It was unclear why police initially found the suspects suspicious. The attackers also died.

Turkish media channels aired what they said was footage from the airport, showing panicked passengers fleeing and debris strewn across the terminal and outside parking area.

Flightradar24, a online live flight tracker, reported Tuesday night that most flights to Istanbul were being diverted to Ankara, the capital, or the western city of Izmir. A Turkish official could only confirm that the airport had been shut down to everyone but emergency personnel.

Both Kurdish and Islamic State militants have carried out bomb attacks in Turkey, including in Istanbul, the country’s largest city. But there was no immediate claim of responsibility Tuesday night.

State-run media on Tuesday reported that the prime minister, interior minister, and Istanbul's governor had formed a crisis desk to deal with the emergency response.

Turkey’s tourism industry has been crippled by the recent violence, including the security forces’ battles with Kurdish militants in the south, and suicide attacks in Istanbul and Ankara. On Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Turkey issued a travel warning for the country. The advisory warned U.S. citizens of increased threats of terrorist attacks.

President Obama’s assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism, Lisa Monaco, briefed the president on the attack, a White House official said.

The U.S. Consulate in Istanbul said it was working to determine if U.S. citizens are among the victims.

As a member of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, Turkey has increased its strikes on Islamic State positions inside Syria in recent months.

Zeynep Karatas contributed to this report.