The number of fatalities has more than doubled since the initial reports on the attack.
Previously, "At Least 10 Dead in Istanbul Airport Homicide Bomber Attack (VIDEO)."
And now at WSJ, "Attack at Istanbul Airport Kills at Least 28":
ISTANBUL — Turkey’s busiest airport was rocked by a terrorist attack late Tuesday that killed at least 28 people and injured scores on the eve of a major holiday, the fourth major attack in Istanbul this year.More.
At least two blasts rocked the international terminal of Istanbul Ataturk Airport at about 10 p.m. local time, according to a Turkish official. Police fired on two suicide bombers who blew up themselves at the entrance to terminal, the official said.
Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said an attacker had sprayed the area with a Kalashnikov and then detonated explosives.
Sixty other people were wounded in the attack, with six in critical condition, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.
Ambulances and police rushed to the area. Telecasts from the area showed bodies splayed on the floor outside the arrivals area and travellers rushing out of the airport. Police cordoned off the area and started evacuating passengers.
Flights to and from Istanbul were halted after the attack. British British Airways rerouted an Istanbul-bound plane back to London and Lufthansa cancelled at least one flight.
Turkish television channels reported at least three explosions at multiple areas, but there was no immediate confirmation from officials.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called Interior Minister Efkan Ala and established a crisis desk.
Turkey’s largest airport has a strict security regime, unlike the other airports that have suffered bombings in the recent past.
Passengers are required to send all luggage and personal items through security screenings at the entrance to the departure zone, long before reaching check-in areas, which are separated by glass partitions and walls. The Islamic State-affiliated bombers who attacked the Brussels airport this year faced no such security screenings, and security officials believe that contributed to the high number of casualties there.
No group had claimed responsibility immediately after Tuesday’s attack...
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