Turkey blames ISIS for attack on Istanbul airport

Three suicide bombers suspected of belonging to Islamic State killed at least 36 people and injured 147 others in nearly simultaneous explosions at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport Tuesday afternoon.

According to police, the attackers arrived in a taxi and opened fire on travelers before blowing themselves up. Security forces are investigating whether a fourth attacker might have escaped.

Turkish officials insist none of the attackers made it past security checkpoints at the entrance to the airport terminal. Victims include foreigners but officials have yet to release names or nationalities.

Initial reports indicated as many as 50 people might have died. Although officials later lowered that number, they cautioned the death toll is likely to rise.

Turkey has suffered several terror attacks in the last few years, mostly at the hands of Kurdish separatists. But those incidents targeted police and military installations and personnel, not just civilians.

Tuesday’s attack mirrors similar incidents in Paris and Brussels claimed by Islamic State militants. Ataturk airport is the 11th busiest in the world, logging 61.8 million passengers last year.