Turkey charges 17 more suspects over Istanbul airport attack

Turkey has charged 17 people, mostly Russians, over the recent deadly gun and bomb attack at Istanbul's international airport which was blamed on the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

Turkey’s private Dogan news agency reported on Tuesday that the suspects, including 11 Russians and six Turks, were accused of "membership of an armed terrorist organization.”

The 17, who were remanded in custody, bring to 30 the total number of those charged over the Ataturk airport carnage.

Last week, 13 suspects, including three foreigners, were charged in connection with the assault.

On June 28, three bombers opened fire outside the Ataturk airport. Later, two of the assailants got inside and set off their explosives while the third blew himself up at the entrance.

Authorities have identified the bombers as a Russian, an Uzbek and a Kyrgyz national. According to the pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper, the Russian attacker was from the North Caucasus region of Dagestan.

Also on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed the fatal attack on Daesh elements from the ex-Soviet Union.

SS