Investigators are working to determine who was behind the triple suicide blasts at Istanbul’s busy Ataturk International Airport that killed 41 people and wounded 239.
CBC News has learned those injured in the attack include at least one Canadian.
The government has said extremists with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were believed to be responsible, but authorities are still piecing together how the attack happened.
One official said authorities are going through surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses to establish a preliminary timeline and details of the attack. “It is a jigsaw puzzle,” said the official.
There were conflicting reports on where at the terminal the attackers blew themselves up.
Earlier, the same official had said none of the attackers got past security checks at the entrance, with two detonating explosives at the international arrivals terminal and the third in the parking lot. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.
But the HaberTurk newspaper reported that one attacker blew himself up outside the terminal, and two others opened fire near the X-ray machines. One report said attacker was shot at while running amid fleeing passengers, then blew himself up at the exit. The third attacker went up one level to the international departures terminal, was shot by police and detonated his explosives, according to the report.
Turkish officials say foreign nationals killed in the blasts include travellers from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Ukraine, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tunisia, Jordan and China.
“Consular officials are in touch with Canadian citizens in Turkey who have been affected by this incident and stand ready to provide consular assistance as needed,” a spokesperson with Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.
Airport reopens
Airport surveillance video posted on social media appeared to show the moment of one explosion, a huge ball of fire, and passengers fleeing. Another appeared to show an attacker, felled by a gunshot from a security officer, blowing himself up seconds later.
“So, what can we think? We cannot think anything,” said Ali Batur, whose brother died. “A terror attack might happen everywhere, it happens everywhere. This terror trouble is also in our country. If God permits, we will get over this in unity and solidarity.”
As dawn broke over the destroyed terminal, workers began removing debris. An information board inside showed about one-third of scheduled flights were cancelled, and a host of others were delayed.
Earlier, the hundreds of passengers who fled the airport in fear were left sitting on the grass outside. Several ambulances drove back and forth, and security vehicles surrounded the scene.
The Istanbul governor’s office said the 41 fatalities included 13 foreigners, including three dual nationals. The airport reopened hours after the attack.
Signs point to ISIS
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Tuesday that the signs point to ISIS.
Turkey has suffered a series of attacks, and the increasing frequency and scale have scared away visitors and devastated the economy, which relies heavily on tourism. The country is a NATO member and key partner in the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS.
An ISIS suicide bomber killed 10 people in Istanbul in January. Another four died there in a blast in March, which was also linked to the group.
The airport, the third busiest in Europe, has been seen as a potential target by the extremist group for some time, and previous attacks have put pressure on the government to take action, said CBC’s Dorian Jones.
“Opposition parties are saying not enough resources are going to fighting Islamic State, and too many resources are going to fighting Kurdish rebels … and this attack will again raise the question of the priorities of the government,” Jones said from Istanbul.
Beset by threats
Turkish airports have security checks at both the entrance of terminal buildings and then later before entry to departure gates.
Judy Favish, a South African who spent two days in Istanbul as a layover on her way home from Dublin, had just checked in when she heard an explosion followed by gunfire and a loud bang.
She said she hid under the counter, then passengers were ushered to a basement cafeteria where they were kept for more than an hour before being allowed outside.
Two South African tourists, Paul and Susie Roos from Cape Town, due to fly home at the time of the explosions.
“We came up from the arrivals to the departures, up the escalator when we heard these shots going off,” Paul Roos said. “There was this guy going roaming around, he was dressed in black and he had a handgun.”
The prime minister called for national unity and “global co-operation” in combatting terrorism.
“This [attack] has shown once again that terrorism is a global threat,” Yildirim said. “This is a heinous planned attack that targeted innocent people.”
He suggested that the attack was linked to what he said was Turkey’s success against Kurdish rebels, as well as steps Ankara took Monday toward mending strained ties with Israel and Russia.
Yildirim said there were no immediate indications that other attackers were at large.
Dozens of anxious friends and relatives waited early Wednesday outside Istanbul’s Bakirkoy Hospital.
“You can hear that people are wailing here,” said Serdar Tatlisu, a relative of a victim. “We cannot cope anymore, we can’t just stay still. We need some kind of solution for whatever problem there is.”
Turkey is beset by an array of security threats, including from ultra-left radicals, Kurdish rebels demanding greater autonomy in the restive southeast, and ISIS militants.
CBC News