Nigerian leader condemns Istanbul airport terror attack

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condoled with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday following the deadly attack at Istanbul airport that left dozens of people dead, terming the incident “cowardly and criminal”.

“We condemn in the strongest terms these criminal, cowardly attacks, wherever they might occur as an attack on all decent, democratic and peaceful people,” Buhari said in a letter to Erdogan, which was later released to the media Thursday evening.

“Every terrorist attack only strengthens Nigeria's resolve to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Turkey and other countries in the frontline of the war on terror,” he added.

The Nigerian leader called on world leaders to dedicate themselves “wholeheartedly to multilateral cooperation and collaborative actions aimed at eradicating the scourge of international terrorism."

Buhari, whose country is also fighting a violent insurgency, said the action of the terrorists had no links with Islam irrespective of their “warped beliefs.”

At least 44 people were killed and more than 200 injured when three assailants launched a gun-and-bomb attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport Tuesday night.

The attackers were identified Thursday as a Russian national from Dagestan in the north Caucasus, an Uzbek citizen and another from Kyrgyzstan, according to a prosecution source, who is familiar with the investigation but spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said initial indications suggest Daesh was responsible for the attack.