Istanbul attackTurkey identifies the three terrorists as a Russian, Uzbek, and Kyrgyz

Turkish security officials have said that the three terrorists who attacked the Istanbul airport were foreign nationals – a Russian, Uzbek, and Kyrgyz.

The officials, who spoke with Western news agencies, said that investigators faced difficulties identifying the bombers from their limited remains, but a pro-government Turkish newspaper had said the Russian bomber was from Dagestan, a restless province which borders Chechnya.

DW reports that more details have emerged about the attack. Three people with guns and suicide vests targeted the arrivals and departures areas, where they fired on travelers and then detonated their explosives in a rampage that lasted just a few minutes.

Police sources said the attackers had rented a flat in the Aksaray area of Istanbul, from which they took a taxi at 8.45 p.m. local time to Atatürk airport. The driver described the attackers as calm.

Turkish officials said that the attackers were initially unable to enter the terminal building. “When the terrorists couldn’t pass the regular security system, when they couldn’t pass the scanners, police and security controls, they returned and took their weapons out of their suitcases and opened fire at random at the security check,” said prime minister Binali Yildirim.

Two Turkish officials told the AP that one of the three attackers entered the lower-level arrivals hall, opened fire, and then detonated his explosive vest.

In the chaos which followed, the second assailant went up to the departure hall where he blew himself up. The third man waited outside, near the parking lot, and detonated his explosives as passengers ran out of the airport terminal, the officials said.