ISTANBUL (AP) – Suicide attackers killed dozens and wounded more than 140 at Istanbul’s busy Ataturk Airport, as Turkish officials blamed Tuesday’s massacre at the international terminal on three suspected Islamic State group militants.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said 36 were dead as well as the three suicide bombers. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said 147 were wounded.
Another senior government official told The Associated Press the death toll could climb much higher. The senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol, at first said close to 50 people had already died, but later said that the figure was expected to rise to close to 50.
Hundreds of frightened passengers streamed out of the airport, fleeing the latest of several bombings to strike Turkey in recent months. The attacks on a key partner in the U.S.-led coalition against IS and a NATO member have increased in scale and frequency. They have scared off tourists and hurt the Turkish economy, which relies heavily on tourism.
Hevin Zini, 12, had just arrived from Duesseldorf, Germany, with her family and was in tears from the shock.