In a tragic incident, at least 36 people were killed when three suspected Islamic State group suicide bombers targeted the international terminal of Istanbul's Ataturk airport.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said 36 were dead and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said 147 were wounded. Another senior government official told the death toll could climb much higher.

The senior official said close to 50 people had already died, but later said that the figure was expected to rise to close to 60.

Yildirim said three IS suicide bombers were responsible for the attack.He said the attackers arrived at the airport in a taxi and blew themselves up after opening fire.

He added that the victims included some foreigners. Some had minor injuries but others are more badly hurt.

Another Turkish official said two of the attackers detonated explosives at the entrance of the international arrivals terminal after police fired at them, while the third blew him up in the parking lot.

Another official added that none of the attackers managed to get past security checks at the terminal's entrance.

Turkish airports have security checks at both the entrance of terminal buildings and then later before entry to departure gates.

Roads around the airport were sealed off for regular traffic after the attack and several ambulances could be seen driving back and forth. Hundreds of passengers were flooding out of the airport and others were sitting on the grass.

South African Judy Favish, who spent two days in Istanbul as a layover on her way home from Dublin, had just checked in when she heard an explosion followed by gunfire and a loud bang.

She says she hid under the counter for some time. Favish says passengers were ushered to a cafeteria at the basement level where they were kept for more than an hour before being allowed outside.

Police officers who got wounded were transferred to Bakirkoy State Hospital.

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BY M. DIVYA SHRI