10 Reported Dead After Blasts Rock Turkish Airport
Justice minister says two suicide attackers touched off explosives; scores wounded, but there's no immediate claim of responsibility
Two suicide bombers killed at least 10 people and wounded scores of others late Tuesday in two blasts at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, the country's justice minister said. State television said one explosion occurred at a control point at an entry to the international arrival terminal. Witnesses said police fired on the suspects after one attacker initially opened fire with what was later described as a Kalashnikov rifle. Video later showed one such weapon lying unattended on the ground at the facility. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Early video footage showed heavily armed Turkish police swarming the huge facility, along with numerous emergency vehicles. Istanbul has been the target of several terror attacks this year, including the June 7 car bombing of a police bus that killed 11 people. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for that attack, either. But Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy in Turkey's southeast have been linked to a spate of similar attacks in recent months. Ataturk is Turkey's largest airport and a major transport hub for international travelers. All flights there were suspended after the attack. Authorities later allowed incoming flights in holding patterns over the city to begin landings. All other inbound flights were diverted.