A gun and bomb attack at  Istanbul's Ataturk international airport has killed 36 people and injured more than 140 people approximately. Three attackers opened fire in the entry point of the terminal and blew themselves up after the police fired at them.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said early, that the signs suggested the so-called Islamic State was behind the attack. Tuesday's attack looked like a major co-ordinated assault.  One Turkey correspondent reported from a plane stuck on the tarmac in Istanbul, that Ataturk airport was long seen as a vulnerable target.

There are X-ray scanners at the entrance to the terminal but security checks for cars are limited. Video from inside the terminal shows people fleeing and the bright orange flash of fire from one of the explosions. Victims stagger and some fall from the blood-covered, slick floor.
Another video shows a man walking with a gun, which he drops when he's apparently shot by a security officer. The man slumps to the ground and the officer briefly stands over him before running. About 10 seconds later, there was an explosion.

Traveler Laurence Cameron described, "It was just a massive crowd of screaming people. Some were falling over themselves. A poor chap in a wheelchair was just left, and everyone just rushed to the back of the building, and then people ran the other way and no one really seemed to know what was going on," he told CNN. "Where you normally hail a taxi, that is where the attack happened. The ground is just kind of shredded. There are bloodstains on the floor as well."

Sue Savage was in the airport to see off a friend when she heard the gunshots and explosions. More gunshots rang out along with another explosion. She ducked into a men's prayer room and then into a men's toilet, where she hid in a stall with a young woman. They came out about 30 minutes later, and heard more screams and gunshots. They ducked into a room where luggage were inspected. She and about 30 people were herded into a women's prayer room until authorities led them out and down an escalator into the main terminal hall.

She described, "There was a lot of blood, the floor was marked with bloody boot marks as the group was led to the other side of the room. There was so much glass on the floor they were scuffing it aside so we didn't slip,"

Taxis were used to rush casualties to hospital after the attack. Desperate relatives of those missing, later gathered outside a local hospital where many victims were taken. Some expressed anger about the lack of information. Flights in and outside of the airport were suspended after the attack. The US Federal Aviation Administration initially grounded all services between the US and Istanbul but the stoppage was later lifted.

 The Turkish Prime Minister stated, "The terrorists came to the airport in a taxi and then carried out their attacks, the fact that they were carrying guns added to the toll. Preliminary findings suggest all three attackers first opened fire then detonated themselves."

The attacks occurred with a little more than a week left in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Multiple U.S. officials told that the early thinking among U.S. intelligence officials was that ISIS or an ISIS-inspired group was behind the attack. The officials said there is much more investigation to be done.

Also Read: Istanbul airport attack: At least 36 dead and dozens injured

By Prakriti Neogi