Death Toll Rises to 41 After Suicide Attacks at Turkey Airport

Three suicide bombers attacked the international terminal of Istanbul's main Ataturk airport Tuesday, killing at least 41 people and wounding more than 230.

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Pictures posted on social media from the site showed wounded people lying on the ground inside and outside one of the terminal buildings.

Footage from broadcasters, including CNN Turk, showed ambulances rushing to the scene. One witness told CNN Turk that gunfire was heard from the car park at the airport. Taxis were ferrying wounded people from the airport, the witness said.

Photo: Twitter

"There is initial evidence that each of the three suicide bombers blew themselves up after opening fire," Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, according to Reuters. 

Police fired shots to try to "neutralize" the suspects, an official said. All arriving and departing flights were cancelled.

A police officer wrestled one of the suicide bombers to the ground before detonating the device, according to a witness, reported NBC News

Yildirim said that initial indications suggested that the Islamic State group was behind the attack, according to Associated Press. An emergency meeting was held following the explosion, reported NTV.

Facebook has activated a safety check for those in the area. The nationalities of the victims have not been identified yet, but its is believed that the majority are Turkish nationals.

No group has yet claimed responsiblity for the attacks.  

Atatürk Havalimanı'nda ard arda 2 patlama. Olay yerine ambulans ve özel harekat polisleri geldi...https://t.co/FGl5cjPJT7

— Delal Maral (@Keca_MEDya) June 28, 2016

Turkey has suffered a spate of bombings this year, including two suicide attacks in tourist areas of Istanbul blamed on the Islamic State group, and two car bombings in the capital, Ankara, which were claimed by a Kurdish militant group.

In the most recent attack, a car bomb ripped through a police bus in central Istanbul during the morning rush hour, killing 11 people and wounding 36 others near the main tourist district, a major university and the mayor's office.

Turkey, which is part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State group, is also fighting Kurdish militants in its largely Kurdish southeast.