Turkey: 28 killed in explosions at Istanbul airport

Extracted from Al Jazeera

"At least 28 people have been killed and 60 others injured following explosions at Istanbul's main international airport, Turkish officials say.

Istanbul's governor, Vasip Sahin, said there were at least three people involved in the attack at Ataturk Airport late on Tuesday evening.

"According to initial assessments 28 people have lost their lives, some 60 people have been taken to hospitals. Our detailed inspections are continuing in all aspects," Sahin said.

The attackers reportedly tried to penetrate the "control point" coming into the airport. Security personnel then opened fire to "neutralise" the attackers, who then detonated their explosives, authorities said.

One suicide attacker detonated himself at the airport parking lot, Al Jazeera's Ayse Karabat, reporting from Istanbul, said.

An NBC News reporter, quoting a witness, said an airport security personnel wrestled to the ground one attacker, shortly before one of the explosions.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. But one security analyst told Al Jazeera that the attack bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), which carried out a "similar attack" at the Brussels airport in March.

Images from local television showed several people running away from the airport. Several people were also shown being transported on stretchers and in wheelchairs.

South African Judy Favish, on her way home from Dublin, had just checked in when she heard an explosion followed by gunfire and a loud bang.

She told The Associated Press that she hid under the counter for some time and that passengers were ushered to a cafeteria at the basement level where they were kept for more than an hour before being allowed outside.

Fadi Hakura, a Turkish specialist at Chatham House in London, told Al Jazeera that foreign tourists were "clearly targeted" by the attackers.

Ataturk Airport is one of the busiest ports in the world serving more than 60 million passengers in 2015.

All outbound flights have been cancelled, while most of the inbound flights have been diverted. Planes already approaching the airport were allowed to land.

There has been a string of bombings around Turkey over the past year, some of them blamed on ISIL, others claimed by Kurdish fighters."

Religion of Peace spreading the gospel again!

Disgruntled Mormons?

Don't forget the crusades!

What will be the left and right wing reaction?

Who's to blame?

Huge Ackman wrote:

Who's to blame?

Trump.

John Kerry is already apologizing ..mind you he's hanging out in Aspen ..

Nothing to see here people "the new normal." He said.

YouTube video.

Sounds like [REDACTED] [REDACTED].

Limousine Liberals wrote:

Sounds like [REDACTED] [REDACTED].

What do you mean?

Turkey is a NATO member. We need to send over a few thousand American kids to defend our brother Erdogan.

Huge Ackman wrote:

Limousine Liberals wrote:

Sounds like [REDACTED] [REDACTED].

What do you mean?

The killer's motivation was radical [REDACTED] [REDACTED].

Republican hate kills! Rite?

Huge Ackman wrote:

Limousine Liberals wrote:

Sounds like [REDACTED] [REDACTED].

What do you mean?

"stinking muzzies"

Man-caused disaster

But WHITE CHRISTIANS trespassed on an Oregon wildlife preserve!

they're terrorists too! wrote:

But WHITE CHRISTIANS trespassed on an Oregon wildlife preserve!

That was a hate crime.

Huge Ackman wrote:

What will be the left and right wing reaction?

Who's to blame?

The west should have held their noses and supported the dictators in the Middle East and North Africa.

Bad decisions have come home to roost.

Time to update my Facebook profile to the Turkey colors!