2016 Atatürk Airport attack

2016 Atatürk Airport attack
Airside of Terminal 2, where
the landside attack took place
Atatürk Airport
Atatürk Airport (Istanbul)
Atatürk Airport
Atatürk Airport (Turkey)
LocationAtatürk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey
Date28 June 2016 (2016-06-28)
~22:00 (EEST)
TargetCivilians and security personnel at Atatürk Airport
Attack type
Suicide bombings, mass shooting, Islamic terrorism
WeaponsKalashnikov rifles, TATP explosive belts
Deaths48 (including 3 perpetrators)
InjuredMore than 230
PerpetratorIslamic State
AssailantsRakim Bulgarov
Vadim Osmanov
Osman Vadinov
No. of participants
At least 3 (all deceased)
MotiveTurkey–ISIL conflict

The Atatürk Airport attack, consisting of shootings and suicide bombings, occurred on 28 June 2016 at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Gunmen armed with automatic weapons and explosive belts staged a simultaneous attack at the international terminal of Terminal 2. Three attackers and forty-five other people were killed, with more than 230 people injured. Monitoring group Turkey Blocks identified widespread internet restrictions on incoming and outgoing media affecting the entire country in the aftermath of the attack.

Media reports indicated that the three attackers were believed by Turkish officials to have come from Russia and Central Asia. Turkish officials said the attackers were acting on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and had come to Turkey from ISIL-controlled Syria. Commentators suggested that the attacks may have been related to stepped-up pressure against the group by Turkish authorities. No one claimed responsibility for the attack.