Current World Daily: At Least 10 Killed After Suicide Attackers Set Off Blasts At Istanbul's Ataturk Airport

Zero Hedge

Update 2: All flights between US and Istanbul have been suspended.

Update: in typical fashion for any despotic country, moments ago Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported that Turkey has issued a gag order on the airport attack. We can only assume that Anadolu was not part of this order...

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Summary:

Two explosions following heavy gunfire took place moments ago at Ataturk International Aiport in Istanbul, the third busiest airport in Europe. The interior ministry adds that there have been at least 40 inuries and at least 10 people have been confirmed dead.

An eye witness told CNN Turk television that blasts took place shortly after gun fire between police officers and unknown persons near the airport’s car park. The Turkish justice minister says an attacker opened fire with a Kalashnikov rifle. Police fired shots at the suspects at the international terminal’s entry in an attempt to neutralize them, an official cited by Bloomberg said.

Local media reports that both blasts occurred outside as the attackers attempted to enter the terminal. The attackers reportedly detonated explosives after being fired on by police. Officials say the attackers had not yet gone through the x-ray security checkpoint. According to some Turkish media, the blasts were terrorist attacks targeting two separate locations in the airport.

Taxis are reportedly carrying injured people away from the airport. Turkish officials currently suspect that the incident was a suicide attack, and Turkish broadcaster Haberturk reports that roughly 40 people are injured.

Islamist and Kurdish militants have claimed responsibility for several recent bomb attacks in Turkey. The lira trimmed gains after the reports of the explosions and was trading at 1.3 percent higher at 2.9027 per dollar at 10:30 p.m. in Istanbul.

More details from CBS:

Turkish officials say at least two explosions rocked the country's largest airport in Istanbul on Tuesday, leaving multiple people injured. A Turkish officials says two attackers blew themselves up at the airport after police fired at them.

Local media is reporting that gunfire was heard from the car park at Ataturk airport, and that dozens were wounded by the suspected suicide bombing. The airport is a major hub for international travelers.

The state-run TRT television said an explosion hit a control point at the international arrival terminal of the airport.

Reuters reports the Turkish justice minister as saying there have been several deaths in the incident.

ATurkish official said Tuesday it was unclear whether the explosions were caused by bombs or a suicide attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.

Taxis were ferrying wounded people from the airport.

Turkey has suffered several bombings in recent months linked to Kurdish or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants.

The attacks have increased in scale and frequency, scaring off tourists and hurting the economy, which relies heavily on tourism revenues.

In December, a blast at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen killed one person and wounded another. Both were cleaners. Kurdish rebels later claimed responsibility for the explosion, believed to have been caused by a bomb.

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Live stream from the scene after the jump:

More details:

Photos from the scene of the explosion below.

1h

Zaid Benjamin

✔@zaidbenjamin

مسؤولون اتراك يؤكدون وقوع انفجارين في مطار اتاتورك في اسطنبول ووقوع جرحى - جريدة صباح اليومية التركية

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Zaid Benjamin

✔@zaidbenjamin

سي ان ان: نحو ١٠٠ جريح في هجوم مطار اتاتورك ووسائل إعلام تركية تتحدث عن إمكانية هروب المهاجمين. pic.twitter.com/K2nDFxq0bp

2:34 PM - 28 Jun 2016

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BREAKING Turkish media now reporting that there were 2 grenades thrown into the airport https://t.co/1JrRRsPBAW pic.twitter.com/Li7jaX7YMP

— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) June 28, 2016