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Explosions, Gunfire Heard From Istanbul Airport, 28 People Reported Dead In Apparent Suicide Attack [Updated]

By Rahul Srinivas
Published on: 08:24 PST, Jun 28, 2016

Update: The death toll has risen to 28 and could go up even further. We have added videos of the first and the second explosions as well.

An apparent terrorist attack at Istanbul airport has left more than 40 people injured and at least 10 people dead, NBC News reports. The attack, which is reportedly still underway at the Ataturk International Airport, the busiest in Turkey, is believed to have left at least 40 people injured. At this time, there is no confirmation about the number of deaths although initial reports put the number at 10. According to Reuters, Turkish officials believe that the attack was caused by two suicide bombers.

Meanwhile, CNN is reporting about the sound of gunfire being heard from the car parking area of the airport. Witnesses also say they have seen taxis ferrying wounded people from the airport to hospitals. The death toll is also likely to go higher with newer reports suggesting that more than 20 people have been killed.

Istanbul airport terrorist attack
Medics and security members work at the entrance of the Ataturk Airport after explosions in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 28, 2016. [Photo by IHA via AP Images]

Initial reports say that the explosions took place at the arrivals area of the airport. At this time, the number of attackers involved in the attack is not clear. A worker at the airport told NBC News that he saw at least three suicide bombers. An image of a Kalashnikov rifle, allegedly used by one of the attackers, was also posted online.

Another eyewitness claims to have seen a police officer jump on a man, believed to be a suicide bomber who, seconds later, blew himself up.

The video of the moment one of the explosions took place has been shared on Twitter.

The first video shows the chilling footage of police officers shooting one of the attackers after which the atatcker detonates himself.

Another video in which the sound of the second explosion can be heard, has also been released.

Users on Twitter have also posted images of injured people lying on the tarmac. It is unclear from the images of they are still alive.

Another video shows passengers fleeing the airport.

Meanwhile, all flights to and from Istanbul have been stopped. This is an unconfirmed report from a local Turkish TV station.

The terrorist attack at Istanbul airport is the latest in a string of attacks in Turkey and comes just a few weeks after a bomb attack inside a bus killed 11 people in Istanbul earlier this month. In March, there were two terrorist attacks in the country resulting in the deaths of several people.

The Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul is the busiest airport in Turkey and is the main airport that serves the largest city in the country. It is located in the Ye?ilkoy neighborhood located on the European side of the city. With more than 60 million passengers served in 2015, the airport is the 11th busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic and the 10th busiest in the world in terms of international passenger traffic. Ataturk International Airport also happens to be the third busiest airport in Europe falling just behind London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle.

[Photo by Emrah Gurel/AP Images]

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