36 killed, 147 injured in terrorist attack in Istanbul Airport

At least 36 people have been killed and 147 more injured in a gun and bomb attack in Istanbul’s Atatürk international airport.

Late on Tuesday night, three terrorists blew themselves up as security forces were trying to block their progress into the airport.

According to Turkish officials, police forces started firing at suspects when they tried to pass the international terminal’s entry, before the security check.

A few hours after the attack, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced that early signs suggested that the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group was behind the bombings.

“According to the most recent information, 36 people have lost their lives,” he added.

A senior official had earlier put the death toll at around 50.

All flights at the airport have been canceled until further notice.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also condemned that attack and called for global unity in the war against terrorism. “Terror rears its ugly head yet again in our friend & neighbor’s airport. Extremist violence is a global threat; we must confront it together,” he tweeted early on Wednesday.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond also released a statement saying he was “shocked by the attack in Istanbul,” adding that “thoughts are with those affected. We stand ready to help.”

On Monday, a US state department travel warning, originally published in March, was updated and urged US citizens to “exercise heightened vigilance and caution when visiting public access areas, especially those heavily frequented by tourists.”