|ISTANBUL (LC-MENA), at 2140 ZULU+2 on JUN28-2016, three men armed with AK47’s and suicide vests arrived at Ataturk International Airport, outside of Istanbul, Turkey, by taxis. They were dropped off at the arrival area of Terminal 2.
Two of the men walked into the arrival area–one sprinted up the stairs, the other moved into the open gathering space of the arrival hall. The third stayed outside by the taxi queue. Once inside, the first man traveled some 80 feet before opening fire with his AK47. A closed-circuit video of the incident shows the attacker walking and firing at people within the arrival area. A security officer responded, shooting the man at close range. The attacker fell to the ground, and seemingly fiddled with the suicide vest’s trigger. The Officer first approached the attacker, now on the ground, then swiftly darted to safety as he presumably noticed the explosives. The suicide belt then detonated.
As the first man opened fire, the second ran up the stairs. As he reached the top, he walked out into the departure terminal, and depleted the trigger on his vest, detonating his suicide vest.
The third man remained outside, by the taxis, while people began streaming out of the arrival hall doors in an attempt to escape the wholesale slaughter inside the modern and highly secured airport. The attacker soon detonated his suicide vest moments later.
“Four people fell in front of me. They were torn into pieces,” airport worker Hacer Peksen told the Associated Press.
As civilians arrived outside the terminal, the taxi drivers blocked their entry, warning, “Don’t enter! A bomb exploded!” Inside, security tried to usher people to safety. Videos from eyewitnesses’ phones show the officers shouting, desperately trying to herd the crowds toward a perceived escape route. Panic and chaos filled the air as a growing stream of travelers, some rolling suitcases behind them, fled down a corridor, fearfully hoping to evade the havoc behind them.
Four armed men were also reportedly seen running away from the scene after the explosions. It is not clear at this point if any attackers are still on the loose.
Amongst the victims were at least 13 foreigners. Several people remained unidentified Wednesday, JUN29. As it stands now, reports indicate that the death toll will be in the low 50s. The toll excludes the three attackers. The Istanbul governor’s office said more than 230 people were wounded. Funerals for the dead began Wednesday, JUN29.
Though Turkish officials believe that the Islamic State is behind the attack, ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the attack. It had previously claimed to have “covert units” in Turkey, among other places, however. Worth pointing out is that ISIS has historically rarely claimed any attacks in Turkey. One perceived reason for this is a reluctance to be seen as killing fellow Muslims; another, is its desire to exploit the violent rift between Turkey and Kurdish rebels.
As dawn comes, one thing is for certain – innocent people have lost their lives, many are wounded, and many more will live to remember the constant horror of this nightmare. Economically, the devastation leaves the crucial tourism industry of Turkey in ruins, from which it will not soon recover.
The JUN28 terrorist attack on the Ataturk International Airport marks the 49th of its kind to hit Turkey this year.
By JOHN SJOHOLM and NIKITA ROACH for LIMA CHARLIE NEWS MENA DESK
TIMESTAMP: 2239 ZULU+2 JUN29
Alleged video of the 1st suicide bomber as he is shot by Airport Security forces just before detonating his suicide vest.
İşte o anlar. Orda o polis bombacıyı vurmasa belki daha kötü şeyler olacaktı. #AtaturkHavalimani #terörelanetolsun pic.twitter.com/7hyBzbq6iK
— SADO (@ezkici) June 28, 2016
The worst bomb attacks in #Turkey since 1986https://t.co/piFiJa1Xcq pic.twitter.com/ogsSWx6Bam
— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 29, 2016
John Sjoholm, Lima Charlie News
John Sjoholm is Lima Charlie’s Middle East Bureau Chief, Managing Editor, and founder of the consulting firm Erudite Group. A seasoned expert on Middle East and North Africa matters, he has a background in security contracting and has served as a geopolitical advisor to regional leaders. He was educated in religion and languages in Sana’a, Yemen, and Cairo, Egypt, and has lived in the region since 2005, contributing to numerous Western-supported stabilisation projects. He currently resides in Jordan. Follow John on Twitter @JohnSjoholmLC
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