At least two explosions rocked Istanbul, Turkey's international airport Tuesday night, killing 41 people and wounding more than 200, officials said.
Authorities and witnesses said terrorists opened fire at the entrance of the international arrivals area at Ataturk International Airport before explosives were detonated.
Earlier on , Deputy of Istanbul Eren Erdem said on Twitter that 10 people were dead and at least 20 were injured. The U.S. State Department said it was determining if any victims were Americans.
The blasts occurred at a busy terminal where people come from all over the world. There were no U.S. carriers flying directly into Turkey — a country that has become the main transit point for foreign fighters in and out of Syria, where ISIS controls part of the country.
A person who works for a contractor inside the airport told NBC News that he saw three suicide bombers.
The man, who identified himself as Omar, said he heard an explosion and then saw police jump on a man who then blew himself up. People then tried to stop another person who appeared to be wearing explosives.
A porter who works at the airport gave a similar account to NBC News, and said he heard a third explosion outside.
One witness told national broadcaster TRT that he saw two attackers open fire and then blow themselves up as authorities responded at a security checkpoint outside the international terminal. At least one of the gunmen was armed with an AK-47, TRT said, quoting the justice minister.
Turkish media reported the sound of gunfire, and video from the scene showed ambulances racing to the terminal and people yelling.
"Passengers (were) running everywhere, scurrying. I was hiding," a witness told TRT.
Istanbul's Ataturk Airport was the 11th busiest airport in the world last year, with 61.8 million passengers, according to Airports Council International.
U.S. officials said the attack had all the hallmarks of ISIS, which has in recent months stepped up bombings in the country, although Turkey has historically suffered attacks from Kurdish separatists.
Experts say ISIS is likely behind the blasts. The terror group in March took responsibility for the attack at the Brussels airport, killing 32 people. Two suicide bombers attacked the departure hall before a metro station was also bombed.
A senior U.S. counterterrorism official told NBC News the Istanbul attack "fits the ISIS profile, not PKK."
"There are only two groups capable of carrying out such a large-scale attack. This does not fit the PKK profile, they go after Turkish targets, not international targets," the official said.
Explosions Rock Istanbul Airport, Multiple Deaths Reported
Authorities and witnesses said terrorists opened fire at the entrance of the international arrivals area at Ataturk International Airport before explosives were detonated.
Earlier on , Deputy of Istanbul Eren Erdem said on Twitter that 10 people were dead and at least 20 were injured. The U.S. State Department said it was determining if any victims were Americans.
The blasts occurred at a busy terminal where people come from all over the world. There were no U.S. carriers flying directly into Turkey — a country that has become the main transit point for foreign fighters in and out of Syria, where ISIS controls part of the country.
A person who works for a contractor inside the airport told NBC News that he saw three suicide bombers.
The man, who identified himself as Omar, said he heard an explosion and then saw police jump on a man who then blew himself up. People then tried to stop another person who appeared to be wearing explosives.
A porter who works at the airport gave a similar account to NBC News, and said he heard a third explosion outside.
One witness told national broadcaster TRT that he saw two attackers open fire and then blow themselves up as authorities responded at a security checkpoint outside the international terminal. At least one of the gunmen was armed with an AK-47, TRT said, quoting the justice minister.
Turkish media reported the sound of gunfire, and video from the scene showed ambulances racing to the terminal and people yelling.
"Passengers (were) running everywhere, scurrying. I was hiding," a witness told TRT.
Istanbul's Ataturk Airport was the 11th busiest airport in the world last year, with 61.8 million passengers, according to Airports Council International.
U.S. officials said the attack had all the hallmarks of ISIS, which has in recent months stepped up bombings in the country, although Turkey has historically suffered attacks from Kurdish separatists.
Experts say ISIS is likely behind the blasts. The terror group in March took responsibility for the attack at the Brussels airport, killing 32 people. Two suicide bombers attacked the departure hall before a metro station was also bombed.
A senior U.S. counterterrorism official told NBC News the Istanbul attack "fits the ISIS profile, not PKK."
"There are only two groups capable of carrying out such a large-scale attack. This does not fit the PKK profile, they go after Turkish targets, not international targets," the official said.
Explosions Rock Istanbul Airport, Multiple Deaths Reported
