Istanbul - At least 36 people were killed and 69 others injured in two explosions that hit the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul on Tuesday evening, forcing the suspension of all flights.
Three suicide bombers had arrived at the airport by taxi and opened fire before blowing themselves up, said Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.
Foreign nationals were among the dead, he said.
The Prime Minister ordered the formation of a crisis desk and vowed to fight terrorism with "unity and solidarity”.
Kerem Kinik, the head of Turkish Red Crescent, has appealed for blood donation on CNNTurk.
Following the attacks, all flights at the airport were suspended, and entrances and exits were sealed, reports said. But the flights will resume soon, according to the police.
A Chinese national at the airport said he ran for cover after hearing gunshots. He then heard one explosion, and saw smoke everywhere and the injured were carried away.
"It's really good to be alive," he added.
The security situation in Turkey has deteriorated over the past year. A number of bomb attacks have hit Istanbul, the Turkish capital of Ankara and other cities.
The latest attack that hit Istanbul occurred on June 7, in which a car bomb targeted a riot police shuttle bus, killing 11 people. – SAnews.gov.za-Xinhua
