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Istanbul airport blasts: 41 killed and more than 230 injured; Islamic State prime suspect in attack

Three suicide bombers struck at the entrance to the main international airport in Istanbul on Tuesday. 

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Istanbul: Three suicide bombers struck at the entrance to the main international airport in Istanbul on Tuesday. 36 people have been confirmed dead with over 100 injured.

29 June 2016
15:45 PM IST

23 Turkish and 13 foreign nationals among those killed in Istanbul's Ataturk airport terror attack, confirms officials.

14:56 PM IST

Turkish officials says one Iranian, one Ukrainian among those killed in terror attack on Istanbul's Ataturk airport.

14:55 PM IST

Turkish officials confirm international passengers among those killed in terror attack on Istanbul's Ataturk airport.

14:54 PM IST

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani expresses solidarity with people of Turkey, calls on world leaders to unite in their fight against terrorism.

14:17 PM IST

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemns terror attack in Istanbul, terms it as inhuman and horrific.

13:19 PM IST

Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi condoles terror attack on Istanbul's Ataturk Airport that killed 36, injured over 145 others.

09:26 AM IST

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday condemned the attack on Istanbul`s Ataturk international airport.

09:25 AM IST

Australia condemns Istanbul airport attack. 

"The Australian government condemns what appears to be a coordinated terror attack on the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey on June 28. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the people of Turkey," Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says.

09:24 AM IST

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton says the terror attack in Turkey is a reminder that the US can't retreat from this part of the world.

"Today's attack in Istanbul only strengthens our resolve to defeat the forces of terrorism and radical jihadism around the world. And it reminds us that the United States cannot retreat," Clinton says.

08:52 AM IST

Turkish Air flights to Delhi and Mumbai departed from Istanbul last night as scheduled. Both the flights left Turkey's capital at around 8 pm, says MEA.

Ataturk Airport operations at Istanbul have resumed, but long delays are likely, says MEA.

Many flights are reported to have been diverted to Sabiha Gokcen International Airport.

08:51 AM IST

No report so far of any Indian among casualties. Consulate is in touch with Istanbul Governorate and Turkish Health Ministry hotline desk, says MEA.

08:39 AM IST
08:37 AM IST

The Ministry of External Affairs tweets emergency contact numbers for Indians requiring assistance.

08:18 AM IST

PM Narendra Modi expresses grief over Istanbul airport suicide bomb attack, extends condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured.

He tweets: 

06:22 AM IST

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for stepped-up cooperation in the fight against terrorism on Tuesday, following an attack on Istanbul`s Ataturk airport that left at least 36 dead and scores wounded.

Ban "condemns today`s terrorist attack" and "expresses his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Turkey," his spokesman said in a statement.

The UN chief "stands firmly by Turkey as it confronts this threat and stresses the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism."

"The Secretary-General hopes that the perpetrators of this crime will be identified and brought to justice," the statement said. 

06:20 AM IST

The Turkish PM has confirmed that the death toll in Istanbul airport attack now stands at 36.

"According to assessments so far, 36 people have lost their lives and there were also many wounded," Binali Yildirim told reporters at the site of the attack on Europe`s third-busiest airport. He also said that a small number of the wounded were seriously injured.

05:59 AM IST

Turkish officials say at least 36 people are dead and 147 injured in the Istanbul terror attack.

05:45 AM IST

All three suicide bombers opened fire and then blew themselves up, initial findings suggest - Turkish PM

05:41 AM IST

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says first signs in Istanbul attack point to Islamic State group's involvement.

05:25 AM IST

Turkish official says at least 31 dead, more than 140 wounded in Istanbul airport attack; death toll could rise.

05:16 AM IST

Turkey's Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag has said that 31 people were killed in the attack at Istanbul airport.

05:07 AM IST

The private Dogan news agency says the attackers killed at least 32 people -- including two police officers -- and wounded 88 others.

05:05 AM IST

An AFP report says the three attackers began spraying bullets at airport guards at the terminal entrance and a shootout erupted before they blew themselves up one by one at around 10:00 pm (local time) on Tuesday.

04:51 AM IST

The Associated Press has revised down the death toll in Istanbul attack. It now quotes Turkish officials as saying that 31 people have been confirmed dead in the airport attack, with death toll expected to rise further.

04:45 AM IST

France 24 is reporting that 7 men were behind the attack at Istanbul airport. One of them has been captured alive.

04:43 AM IST

Reports say the number of those injured in Istanbul attack has risen above 100.

04:40 AM IST

The United States has condemned the `heinous` terror attack at the Istanbul airport and pledged support for Turkey.

04:37 AM IST

(zeenews.com does not guarantee the authenticity of this video shared on social media.)

04:32 AM IST

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a "joint fight" against terror after a triple suicide attack at Istanbul`s Ataturk airport killed nearly 50 people.

"If states, as all humanity, fail to join forces and wage a joint fight against terrorist organisations, all the possibilities that we dread in our minds will come true one by one," Erdogan said in a statement. 

04:22 AM IST

The Turkish official further said initial indications point to Islamic State group's hand behind the deadly Istanbul airport attack.

04:19 AM IST

A senior Turkish official has told the Associated Press that nearly 50 people have been killed in the attack at Istanbul's airport.

03:50 AM IST

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urges international 'joint fight' against terrorism following the terror attack at the Istanbul airport.

03:08 AM IST

This is what Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said just a while back: "Three suicide bombers carried out an attack. Twenty-eight people have lost their lives. There are also 60 people injured."

02:54 AM IST

Sixty people were wounded in the attack, six of them very seriously, state news agency Anadolu says.

02:51 AM IST

The Governor of Istanbul says 28 people have died in the airport suicide attack. Three suicide bombers carried out the attack on Istanbul airport, the Governor adds.

02:24 AM IST

02:05 AM IST

Reuters has come up with a concrete report on what happened on Tuesday (local time) at the Istanbul airport.

As per details available, two suicide bombers opened fire before blowing themselves up at the entrance to the main international airport in Istanbul, killing at least 10 people and wounding many more, Turkish officials and witnesses said.

Police fired shots to try to stop the attackers just before they reached a security checkpoint at the arrivals hall of the Ataturk airport but they blew themselves up, one of the officials said. 

Speaking in Parliament, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said that based on initial information he could only confirm that there had been one attacker. He said 10 people were killed and around 20 wounded.

"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 themself up," he said in comments broadcast by CNN Turk.

Ataturk is Turkey`s largest airport and a major transport hub for international travellers. Pictures posted on social media from the site showed wounded people lying on the ground inside and outside one of the terminal buildings.

Television footage showed ambulances rushing to the scene. One witness told CNN Turk that gunfire was heard from the car park at the airport. Taxis were ferrying wounded people from the airport, the witness said.

Authorities halted the takeoff of scheduled flights from the airport and passengers were transferred to hotels, a Turkish Airlines official said. Earlier an airport official said some flights to the airport had been diverted.

Turkey has suffered a spate of bombings this year, including two suicide attacks in tourist areas of Istanbul blamed on Islamic State, and two car bombings in the capital, Ankara, which were claimed by a Kurdish militant group.

Turkey, which is part of the US-led coalition against Islamic State, is also fighting Kurdish militants in its largely Kurdish southeast. 

02:00 AM IST

All flights have been suspended at Istanbul's Ataturk airport after the suicide attack - Local TV

01:56 AM IST

Scheduled flights not allowed to take off from Istanbul airport, passengers being transferred to hotels, says Turkish Airlines official.

01:35 AM IST

Turkish justice minister says 10 people are dead in the Istanbul airport attack.

01:30 AM IST

Turkish officials say two suspects blew themselves up at Ataturk airport. The suspects detonated explosives before passing X-ray security check. Police had to fire shots to neutralize the suspects at the international terminal entry point of Ataturk airport.

01:20 AM IST

Reuters reports that around 40 people have been wounded in the Istanbul airport blast.

01:05 AM IST

Turkish officials suspect Istanbul airport blast may have been suicide attack, reports CNN Turk.

00:55 AM IST

Two explosions have hit Istanbul's Ataturk airport. Multiple injuries have been reported, as per Turkish officials.

00:50 AM IST

Explosion hits Istanbul's Ataturk airport: Local media