New Delhi : Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday expressed profound grief over the loss of lives in a terrorist attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport and said the human spirit and resolve will never be deterred by such cowardly attempts.
In a message expressing solidarity and condolence with the families of the deceased and the injured, Gandhi said it was ‘heartbreaking’ to know about the damage done by the devastating attack, which left 36 people dead and close to 150 injured.
“My heart goes out to the families of those who have been killed. Our prayers are with those who have been wounded. It is one that is particularly painful for the people of Turkey, who have faced series of attacks from militants and terrorists this year. The human spirit and resolve will never be deterred by such cowardly attempts’, she said.
“We feel enormous solidarity and grief on behalf of the families that have been affected,” she added.
According to Istanbul Governor, at least three people were involved in the attack at one of Europe’s busiest Airports that took place late last evening.
The attackers opened fire at airport guards at the terminal entrance and a shootout erupted before they blew themselves up one by one.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for stepped-up cooperation in the fight against terrorism, following the deadly attack.
He condemned the attack and expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Turkey.
In a statement, his spokesman said that the UN chief hopes that the perpetrators of this crime will be identified and brought to justice.
Turkey has been hit by a string of deadly attacks in the past year, blamed on both Kurdish rebels and the Islamic State terrorist group. Meanwhile, the US and French consulates have issued a warning, asking people to stay away from the area. (ANI)