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Investigators going around neighborhood showing pictures of alleged attackers
Istanbul attackers were from Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Turkish official says
(CNN) —
Turkish officials have strong evidence that ISIS leadership was involved in the planning of the Istanbul airport terrorist attack, a senior government source told CNN on Thursday.
Officials believe the men – identified by state media as being from Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan – entered Turkey about a month ago from the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa in Syria, bringing with them the suicide vests and bombs used in the attack, the source said.
Meet some of the airport attack victims
The terrorists rented an apartment in the Fatih district of Istanbul, where one of the attackers left behind his passport, the Turkish government source said.
The attack was “extremely well planned with ISIS leadership involved,” the source said.
Turkish police visited the Fatih area and showed neighbors video and photographs of three men they say are believed to have carried out the attack, residents said.
PHOTO:
Reuters
Police showed residents of Fatih this image of three suspects.
Among the pictures was a screen grab from surveillance video at the airport that shows three men wearing thick jackets and carrying bags, the residents said. One man, the owner of the Bekir Yar Emlak real estate agency, said he told police that the picture showed the men who had lived in his apartment. He said he was shocked to learn they could be the suspects.
Mustafa Elsan, the owner of a garage next to the apartment building, also said he was shown images of the alleged attackers. Elsan said he would see people smoking by the window of that apartment on the first floor of the building, but the curtains were mostly closed.
A female neighbor in the same building, who didn’t want to disclose her name, said there was some smell of chemicals a couple of days ago from the apartment, prompting other neighbors to ask her whether there was a gas leak.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images
People flee the scene of a terror attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport on Tuesday, June 28. Three terrorists armed with bombs and guns attacked the main international terminal, opening fire and eventually detonating their devices.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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Emrah Gurel/AP
Investigators remove a body after the attack.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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SEDAT SUNA/EPA
Police investigators work inside the airport.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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SEDAT SUNA/EPA
Turkish special forces secure an area of the airport after the attack.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images
A wounded girl is taken to a hospital in Istanbul.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images
A Turkish police officer directs a passenger at the airport.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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Emrah Gurel/AP
Travelers embrace outside the airport.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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DHA/AP
One of the bombs was located just outside the international terminal on the pavement, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told CNN. Another was at the security gate at the entrance to the airport.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images
Children and their relatives embrace after reuniting outside the airport.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images
A police officer sets up a security perimeter.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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SEDAT SUNA/EPA
People stand outside the airport after the attack.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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AP
A wounded woman talks on the phone following the attack.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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Gokhan Tan/Getty Images
Passengers cry as they leave the airport.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images
People on their phones wait with their luggage outside the airport.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images
Workers clear glass debris on the day after the attack.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images
Bullet holes are seen at the airport on Wednesday, June 29.
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Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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Gokhan Tan/Getty Images
A worker cleans blood from the upper walls of the international departure terminal.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images
A police officer stands guard as a man walks at the airport a day after the attack.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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Bulent KilicAFP/Getty Images
A woman cries in Istanbul on June 29.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images
Security personnel scan passengers and employees at a checkpoint on June 29.
Photos: Istanbul airport attacked
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Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images
A worker repairs the airport's damaged ceiling on June 29.