Blasts at Istanbul airport leave 10 dead

ISTANBUL: At least two explosions and gunfire have rocked Istanbul’s Ataturk international airport, according to the Turkish justice minister around ten people have been killed, with reports of ‘multiple’ people injured.

Two suspects blew themselves up at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport on Tuesday, detonating their explosives just before the security check at the international terminal, a Turkish official said.

Police fired shots to try to “neutralise” the suspects, the official added. There were reports of gunfire which was reportedly directed from an airport car park.

Turkish media have quoted Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag as saying 10 people have been killed in the attack.

Turkey’s state run news agency quoted Bekir Bozdag as saying: “According to the information I was given, a terrorist at the international terminal entrance first opened fire with a Kalashnikov and then blew himself up. We have around 10 martyrs (dead) and around 20 wounded.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2016.