Encomium
The attack on Ataturk Airport (Europe’s third busiest, the world 11th busiest and the sixth major attack this year targeting either Istanbul or Ankara) has resulted in a fall of tourism, causing the country’s economy to be badly hit. The number of people confirmed dead this morning (Friday, July 1) following the attack on Tuesday, June 28, has risen to 44, leaving 238 others injured.
However, flights have resumed but with many cancellations and delays.
Recent investigation has also revealed the nationalities of the three suspected Islamic State suicide bombers as Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan nationals. No name has been mentioned as details of the investigation are yet to be made public as forensic teams struggle to identify the bombers from their limited remains, officials said earlier.
The disaster which rocked the airport and caught the attention of the world occurred some minutes past 8 on Tuesday evening. It was revealed to have taken this sequence : the first attacker detonated a bomb at X-ray machines in the downstairs section of the airport, the second attacker arrived in the terminal, walked upstairs to the departures area, and detonated explosives and the third waited outside the building during the attack and detonated their bomb after the first two explosions.
The nationality of dead so far confirmed are 24 – Turkish, 5 – Saudi, 2 – Iraqi and 1 – Chinese; Jordanian; Tunisian; Uzbek; Iranian; Ukrainian.
Though a Palestinian ambassador to Turkey insisted that one Palestinian woman was killed in the attack.
While Russian President, Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to Turkey in a phone call, US President Barack Obama commented, “We will not rest until we have dismantled these networks of hate that have had an impact on the entire civilized world”.
Pope Francis also denounced the “brutal terrorist attack” and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation also condemned the “despicable terrorist act”.
As more threats are posed to Turkey, U.S. defence sources revealed that Washington was moving towards permanently banning families from accompanying U.S. military and civilian personnel deployed in the country.
Seyifunmi Adebote for encomium.ng
