Yesterday evening, June 28, in the early evening at around 22:00 local time, three suicide bombers fired into the crowd at the Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, before blowing themselves up. After the attacks at Zaventem Airport in Brussels last March, this is another airport that has been affected by indiscriminate actions.
The provisional toll is reported as, 44 dead and 239 wounded. Although responsibility for the attack has not yet been claimed, the Turkish authorities say that the first indications would point to the involvement of ISIS.
In a statement, Turkish President Erdogan noted that "this attack which took place during the month of Ramadan shows that terrorism strikes without regard to law or values." Ramadan ends on 6 July.
A great majority of domestic and international departures and arrivals at Istanbul have been cancelled or delayed. The airport has posted a special page on the internet indicating whether flights are operating or not : http://www.ataturkairport.com/
More than ever, airport security is central to tomorrow’s challenges.
