ISTANBUL- Turkish investigators pored over video footage and witness statements on Wednesday after three suspected Islamic State suicide bombers opened fire and blew themselves up in Istanbul’s main airport, killing 36 people and wounding almost 150.
The attack on Europe’s third-busiest airport was one of the deadliest in a series of suicide bombings in recent months in Turkey, part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State and struggling to contain spillover from neighboring Syria’s war.
“This attack, targeting innocent people is a vile, planned terrorist act,” Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters at the scene in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
“There is initial evidence that each of the three suicide bombers blew themselves up after opening fire,” he said. The attackers had come to the airport by taxi and preliminary findings pointed to Islamic State responsibility.
President Tayyip Erdogan said the attack should serve as a turning point in the global fight against terrorism, which he said had “no regard for faith or values”.
He urged an international ‘joint fight’ against terror after Istanbul attack, a statement said. “If states, as all humanity, fail to join forces and wage a joint fight against terrorist organisations, all the possibilities that we dread in our minds will come true one by one,” Erdogan said in a statement.
One attacker opened fire in the departures hall with an automatic rifle, sending passengers diving for cover and trying to flee, before all three blew themselves up in or around the arrivals hall a floor below, witnesses and officials said.
Video footage showed one of the attackers inside the terminal building being shot, apparently by a police officer, before falling to the ground as people fled. The attacker then blew himself up around 20 seconds later.
“It’s a jigsaw puzzle … The authorities are going through CCTV footage, witness statements,” a Turkish official said.
The Dogan news agency said autopsies on the three bombers, whose torsos were ripped apart, had been completed and that they may have been foreign nationals, without citing its sources.

World leaders condemn Turkey airport blasts
There has been widespread condemnation from around the world, following the attacks in Turkey.
In the U.S., President Obama was briefed about the attack by Lisa Monaco, his homeland security and counterterrorism adviser.
The White House was quick to respond to Tuesday night’s assault at Ataturk airport in Istanbul with Press Secretary Josh Earnest issuing a statement that the US remained steadfast in its support for its NATO ally.
“We remain steadfast in our support for Turkey, our NATO Ally and partner, along with all of our friends and allies around the world, as we continue to confront the threat of terrorism,” the statement said.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement that the Justice Department and FBI “have offered assistance to our Turkish counterparts as needed.” A law enforcement source told Fox News that FBI assets had not been sent to Istanbul as of Tuesday evening.
US Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton responded by saying: ‘‘Today’s attack in Istanbul only strengthens our resolve to defeat the forces of terrorism and radical jihadism around the world. We must deepen our cooperation with our allies and partners in the Middle East and Europe to take on this threat.’‘
Presumptive presidential candidate Donald Trump also reacted to events in Turkey, claiming the threat toterrorism ‘‘has never been greater’‘.
Elsewhere, Belgium Prime Minister Charles Michel also expressed his solidarity with the victims. He said our thoughts are with the victims of the attacks at Istanbul’s airport. We condemn these atrocious acts of violence.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a statement said, Canada strongly condemns tonight’s deadly attack in Turkey. My thoughts are with the victims as we stand with our allies against terrorism. .
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has condemned the attacks on Ataturk airport in Istanbul. “We grieve for the victims and with the relatives. We stand by Turkey.”
Pakistan terms attack as “mindless act of terrorism“
Pakistan today strongly condemned the terror attack at Ataturk airport, terming it as “mindless act of terrorism“. Islamic State is reported to be behind the suicide attacks. “We condemn this mindless act of terrorism in the strongest possible terms. We offer our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families and to the brotherly people and government of Turkey,” the Foreign Office said. “Like always, we stand in strong solidarity with the fraternal people of Turkey in their fight against terrorism.”
Modi calls attacks inhuman
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the terror attack, terming it inhuman and horrific. “Attack in Istanbul is inhuman & horrific. I condemn it strongly. My thoughts are with bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly,” he said in a tweet.
Julie Bishop extended Australia’s sympathies to Turkey
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop extended Australia’s sympathies to Turkey following the attack which ripped through the busy airport, and said the government was desperately trying to determine if any Australians were in the area at the time of the bombings, Xinhua news agency reported.

US, UN vows support
Condemning the terror attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport, the US and UN has called for stepped-up cooperation in fighting terrorism and has vowed “steadfast” support for Turkey. ‘
Ataturk Airport is the largest in Turkey and the third busiest in Europe behind London’s Heathrow Airport and Paris’ Charles de Gaulle. More than 60 million passengers went through the hub in 2015. It is also one of the fastest-growing airports in the world, seeing 9.2 percent more passengers last year than in 2014.
Broken ceiling panels littered the curb outside the arrivals section of the international terminal. Entire plates of glass had shattered, exposing the inside of the building, and electric cables dangled from the ceiling. Cleanup crews swept up debris and armed police patrolled as flights resumed.
Two U.S. counterterrorism officials familiar with the early stages of investigations said Islamic State was at the top of the list of suspects even though there was no evidence yet.
No group had claimed responsibility more than 12 hours after the attack, which began around 9:50 p.m. (1850 GMT) on Tuesday.
Istanbul’s position bridging Europe and Asia has made Ataturk airport, Turkey’s largest, a major transit hub for passengers across the world. A Ukrainian and an Iranian were among the dead, officials from the two countries said. Saudi media said seven Saudis were among the wounded.
Delayed travelers were sleeping on floors at the airport, a Reuters witness said, as some passengers and airport staff cried and hugged each other. Police in kevlar vests with automatic weapons prowled the curbside as a handful of travelers and Turkish Airlines crew trickled in.
The national carrier said it had canceled 340 flights although its departures resumed after 8:00 am (0500 GMT).
“HE WAS WEARING ALL BLACK”
Paul Roos, 77, a South African tourist on his way home, said he saw one of the attackers “randomly shooting” in the departures hall from about 50 meters (55 yards) away.
“He was wearing all black. His face was not masked … We ducked behind a counter but I stood up and watched him. Two explosions went off shortly after one another. By that time he had stopped shooting,” Roos told Reuters.
“He turned around and started coming towards us. He was holding his gun inside his jacket. He looked around anxiously to see if anyone was going to stop him and then went down the escalator … We heard some more gunfire and then another explosion, and then it was over.”
The attack bore similarities to a suicide bombing by Islamic State militants at Brussels airport in March that killed 16 people. A coordinated attack also targeted a rush-hour metro train, killing a further 16 people in the Belgian capital.

Source: Reuters, Fox News, Agencies, 29 June 2016