Suicide attackers armed with guns and bombs killed 42 people and wounded hundreds at Istanbul's busy Ataturk Airport, apparently targeting Turkey's crucial tourism industry. The government blamed the attack on Islamic State extremists but there was no immediate confirmation from the group.
Scenes of chaos and panic unfolded last night as gunfire and explosions sent crowds fleeing in all directions.
Airport surveillance video posted on social media appeared to show one explosion, a ball of fire that sent terrified passengers racing for safety.
Another appeared to show an attacker, felled by a gunshot from a security officer, blowing himself up seconds later. A growing stream of travelers, some rolling suitcases behind them, fled down a corridor, looking fearfully over their shoulders.
"Four people fell in front of me. They were torn into pieces," said airport worker Hacer Peksen. The victims included at least 13 foreigners and several people remained unidentified today. The toll excluded the three bombers. The Istanbul governor's office said more than 230 people were wounded.
It was not clear if any attackers were still on the loose. The attackers arrived by taxi, officials said.
"When the terrorists couldn't pass the regular security system, when they couldn't pass the scanners, police and security controls, they returned and took out their weapons out of their suitcases and opened fire at random at the security check," said Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.
All three attackers arrived together at the lower-level arrivals hall; one went inside, opened fire and then detonated his explosives, according to an Interior Ministry official and another official.
During the chaos, the second attacker went upstairs to departures and blew himself up.
The third man waited outside during the whole episode and detonated his explosives last as people flooded out of the airport, the officials said.
Separately, a senior Turkish security official said the three attackers were not Turkish nationals. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.
Paul Roos, a South African tourist who was due to fly home with his wife, said he heard shots while coming up the escalator.
"There was this guy going roaming around, he was dressed in black and he had a handgun."
Funerals for some of the victims began today as Turkish authorities tried to piece together how the attack happened, going through surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses to establish a preliminary timeline.
