Qatar strongly condemn the terrorist attack on Turkey's Ataturk International Airport

The State of Qatar has strongly condemned and denounced the terrorist attack at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport that killed at least 36 and injured 147 people.

Qatar condemned the cowardly criminal attacks which run counter to all moral values and human principles and target innocent civilians. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement, expressed solidarity with the brotherly Republic of Turkey and vowed to support all measures to maintain its security and stability.

Qatar's support to Turkey stems from its firm position rejecting violence and terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Qatar also condoled the victims' families, the Turkish government and people, wishing the injured speedy recovery.

Earlier today, a gun and bomb attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk international airport left 36 people dead and another 147 injured.

Three attackers opened fire near an entry point to the terminal and blew themselves up after police fired at them, officials said.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said early signs suggested the Islamic State was behind the attack. Recent bombings in Turkey have been linked to either IS or Kurdish separatists.

Tuesday's attack looks like a major co-ordinated assault, said the BBC's Mark Lowen.

Ataturk airport has long been seen as a vulnerable target. Though there are X-ray scanners at the entrance to the terminal, security checks for cars are limited.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attack should serve as a turning point in the global fight against militant groups.

"The bombs that exploded in Istanbul today could have gone off at any airport in any city around the world," he said.

The US called the attack "heinous", and reiterated its support to the tensed nation.

Speaking several hours after the attack, Yildirim said at least 36 people were killed and many wounded, some seriously. He also said foreigners were likely to be among the dead.

Flights in and out of the airport were suspended after the attack. Taxis were used to rush casualties to hospital after the attack.

Eyewitness Paul Roos told the Associated Press news agency that he was due to fly home to South Africa when the attackers struck.

"We came up from the arrivals to the departures, up the escalator when we heard these shots going off," he said.

"There was this guy going roaming around, he was dressed in black and he had a handgun."

In December, a blast on the tarmac at a different Istanbul airport, Sabiha Gokcen, killed a cleaner. That attack was claimed by a Kurdish group, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK).

Courtesy: bbc.com