Death toll in Turkey airport attack hits 41, 13 of them foreigners

Death toll in Turkey airport attack hits 41, 13 of them foreigners

Turkey airport attackThe death toll in the triple suicide bombing at Istanbul’s international airport has risen to 41, 13 of them foreign nationals, and 239 wounded, the city governor said in a statement.

The governor’s office said 109 of the 239 wounded were discharged from hospital.

It said 13 of the dead were foreigners. One of the fatalities has been confirmed as a Palestinian.

A Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said five of the dead were from Saudi Arabia, two were from Iraq, and one from Tunisia, Uzbekistan, China, Iran, Ukraine and Jordan.

No one has claimed Tuesday’s attack yet but Turkish authorities said they suspect Islamic State jihadists.

Turkey remains on high security alert after a series of attacks on its soil blamed not only on the IS group but also Kurdish militants.

IS has never claimed an attack in Turkey. But authorities have blamed the group for several attacks, including a blast in Ankara in October 2015 that left over 100 people dead and an attack on Istanbul’s busy tourist district Istiklal Street which killed three Israelis and an Iranian in March 2016.

Witnesses described scenes of terror and panic on Tuesday evening as the attackers began shooting indiscriminately and then blew themselves up at the entrance to Ataturk airport, one of Europe’s busiest hubs.

The assault, at the start of Turkey’s crucial summer tourist season, was the latest in a wave of attacks in Istanbul and the capital Ankara over the past year, putting the country on high alert.