Istanbul Attack: 41 dead and more than 230 hurt – Update

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicion fell on the Islamic State (ISIS) or the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Tuesday’s attack looked like a major co-ordinated assault, says the BBC’s Mark Lowen.

Ataturk airport has long been seen as a vulnerable target, our Turkey correspondent adds, reporting from a plane stuck on the tarmac in Istanbul.

Ataturk Airport is one of the busiest ports in the world serving more than 60 million passengers in 2015.

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 Turkey announces one-day mourning

Turkish flags fly at half mast at government buildings after deadly Istanbul Ataturk Airport attack on June 29, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey.

As a sign of one-day national mourning, Turkey will hoist its flags at half-mast across the country and in Turkish foreign representatives around the world until sunset on Wednesday, the prime ministry said in the statement.

Details of the attack

There are X-ray scanners at the entrance to the terminal but security checks for cars are limited.

Pictures from the airport terminal showed bodies covered in sheets, with glass and abandoned luggage littering the building.

Istanbul’s governor confirmed 41 people had died and 239 were injured in the attack. At least 13 of those killed were of foreign or dual nationality. Some 109 of those hurt have now been discharged from hospital.

One Iranian and one Ukrainian were confirmed dead.

Reports of the attack vary but it appears the attackers opened fire at the entrance where the X-ray machines are positioned, sparking an exchange with police. At least two ran into the building.

Footage on social media shows one moving through the building as people around him flee. He is shot by police and remains on the ground for about 20 seconds before blowing himself up. All three attackers were killed.

Paul Roos, who was due to fly home to South Africa, told Reuters he saw one of the attackers.

“He was wearing all black. His face was not masked. We ducked behind a counter but I stood up and watched him. Two explosions went off shortly after one another. By that time he had stopped shooting.

“He turned around and started coming towards us. He was holding his gun inside his jacket. He looked around anxiously to see if anyone was going to stop him and then went down the escalator. We heard some more gunfire and then another explosion, and then it was over.”