Istanbul Airport: death toll climbs to 41

Air Canada cancels flights to Istanbul.

Istanbul death toll climbs to 41, at least 1 Canadian among injured

Aftermath of triple suicide blasts ‘a jigsaw puzzle,’ says official

Investigators are working to determine who was behind the triple suicide blasts at Istanbul’s busy Ataturk International Airport that killed 41 people and wounded 239.

 

CBC News has learned at least one Canadian is among the injured.

 

The government has said extremists with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were believed to be responsible, but authorities are still piecing together how the attack happened.

 

One official said authorities are going through surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses to establish a preliminary timeline and details of the attack. “It is a jigsaw puzzle,” said the official.

 

There were conflicting reports on where at the terminal the attackers blew themselves up.

 

Earlier, the same official had said none of the attackers got past security checks at the entrance, with two detonating explosives at the international arrivals terminal and the third in the parking lot. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.

 

But the HaberTurk newspaper reported that one attacker blew himself up outside the terminal, and two others opened fire near the X-ray machines. One report said attacker was shot at while running amid fleeing passengers, then blew himself up at the exit. The third attacker went up one level to the international departures terminal, was shot by police and detonated his explosives, according to the report.

 

Turkish officials say foreign nationals killed in the blasts were from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Ukraine, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tunisia, Jordan and China.

 

“Consular officials are in touch with Canadian citizens in Turkey who have been affected by this incident and stand ready to provide consular assistance as needed,” a spokesperson with Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/istanbul-airport-investigation-wednesday-1.3657413