Turkish officials help a person wounded in the blasts (Photo: AP)

According to Turkish officials, the three attackers opened fire separately at in the departures hall of Istanbul's main international airport, then blew themselves up at the security checkpoint. Police fired shots to try to stop them but they detonated their explosives. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said preliminary findings pointed to Islamic State responsibility.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the terrorist attacks and stressed the need to intensify global efforts to combat terrorism. He also expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, the Turkish Government and its people. The White House on Tuesday said US will remain steadfast in its support for Turkey to confront terrorism’s threat. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of suspended US flights to and from Istanbul's Ataturk airport after the attack.