Istanbul airport reopens amid terror aftermath

Victims of the Istanbul airport terror attack were rushed to the hospital. (Credit: BBC)

The death count in the Istanbul Ataturk airport terrorist attack has climbed to 41, with more than 239 injured, but port officials reopened partial operations Wednesday.

About a third of scheduled flights were canceled and several others delayed, the Hindu reported.

"Everything's quite calm right now, which is a little surreal as opposed to the scenes we saw here last night," said one witness, Laurnce Cameron, to CNN. "I was in the airport this morning looking for my lost luggage. They were sweeping up debris and someone had hung up a big Turkish flag, pretty much right at the spot where a bomb had gone off, sort of an act of defiance, which was quite moving."

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Meanwhile, authorities are still dealing with the carnage of Tuesday's attack. The death count through the evening rose to 41, with an estimated 239 injured – though those numbers could change, officials warned.

And investigators say: The assault, committed by three attackers who came by taxi to the port and open fired on people at the terminal entrance, is looking more and more like an ISIS operation. The men, facing return fire from police, then blew themselves up, as WND previously reported.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said all signs point to ISIS, though intelligence officials are still investigating and the terror group has yet to claim responsibility. As BBC reported, other recent bombings have been committed by ISIS, but also by Kurdish separatists. The Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, for instance, has been waging concerted war against the government for taking part in the U.S.-led fight against ISIS.

BBC also said: "The lack of any immediate claim for this attack by so-called Islamic State [ISIS] is not surprising. IS[IS] rarely, if ever, claims responsibility for attacks against the Turkish state, yet it is quick to advertise its assassinations of Syrian activists inside Turkey. ... [Yet] IS[IS] is targeting Turkey because it sees its government as being un-Islamic and too close to its Western allies in NATO."

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Still, the attack is similar to the terror attacks in Paris in November 2015, which included a mass shooting followed by suicide bombings, and ISIS claimed responsibility for that. In March, meanwhile, ISIS took responsibility for dual suicide bombings at an airport in Brussels, Belgium, that began when the terrorists, arriving on scene via taxi, started shooting. And several senior U.S. intelligence official who wanted to remain unnamed told NBC News and CNN the attack fits the ISIS profile, as well.

Istanbul's governor, who confirmed the death toll had risen to 41, an estimated 13 or so of whom were foreigners and dual nationals, also said more than 100 of the 230 injured have been treated and released from nearby hospitals. Meanwhile, the calls for blood donations continued.

"People were wounded, people fell down in front of me," said one airport worker, Hacer Peksen, to the Associated Press. "They were torn to pieces."

Another witness of the attack, Sue Savage, told CNN: "There was a lot of blood. There was so much glass on the floor, [emergency response officials] were scuffing it aside so we didn't slip."

Turkey President Tayyip Erdogan called the attack, which comes just at the end of the Islamic faith's holy month of Ramadan, a "heinous" incident, and warned other nations to be on the watch.

"The bombs that exploded in Istanbul," he said, in a widely reported statement, "could have gone off at any airport in any city. Make no mistake: For terrorist organizations, there is no difference between Istanbul and London, Ankara and Berlin, Izmir and Chicago."

And America has responded.

As NBC News reported, New York's Port Authority police added several high-profile units to patrol at the state's busiest areas of responsibility, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport. Other airports in the United States have gone on high alert, as well.

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Istanbul's airport was known for its tight security. As NBC News reported, the airport, which is one of the heaviest traveled in Europe, required passengers to go through two security checks – the first at the terminal entrance and the second, inside. The double-layered security system is being hailed by some as possibly preventing even more deaths and injuries in this recent attack – but it's also raising a lot of questions about the security systems in place at transportation arenas around the world.

The White House issued a statement condemning the "heinous" attack on a "symbol of international connections and the ties that bind," while the State Department pledged to stand by Turkey, a key ally in the region for the United States.

"Such attacks will only reinforce our determination to work with the government of Turkey to counter the scourge of terrorism," the State Department said in a statement.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement, also, saying authorities are monitoring developments.

"Secretary Jeh Johnson has been briefed on the situation and is directing appropriate actions as the facts warrant," DHS said.

Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton put out a tweet, saying in part: "All Americans stand united with the people of Turkey against this campaign of hatred and violence."

Donald Trump, presumptive Republican pick for president, meanwhile, tweeted quite a few messages of his own.

"Yet another terrorist attack, this time in Turkey," he wrote in one. "Will the world ever realize what is going on? So sad."

And in another, Trump tweeted: "We must do everything possible to keep this horrible terrorism outside the United States."

The Trump campaign later released the following statement:

"Our prayers are with the families of those killed and injured in Istanbul. The whole world is stunned and horrified. The terrorist threat has never been greater. Our enemies are brutal and ruthless and will do anything to murder those who do not bend to their will. We must take steps now to protect America from terrorists, and do everything in our power to improve our security to keep America safe."