Turkish police arrest eight Iraqi ISIS suspects in raids: state media
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Eight Iraqis were among 13 people arrested by Turkish police in coordinated raids against suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) on Friday, Turkish state media has reported.
All arrests of Iraqis were made in raids conducted in the Black Sea province of Samsun, according to Anadolu Agency (AA). Police in the province were reportedly after 11 Iraqi suspects, but three remain at large.
Meanwhile, police in the western province of Izmir arrested five people with alleged links to Mahmut Ozden – a suspected senior member of ISIS who was previously arrested by security forces in Adana province, state-owned AA reported. Police also seized digital material at the houses of the suspects.
The ethnicity of the Iraqi arrestees is unknown, and the Iraqi government has yet to comment on the arrests.
Turkey is a member of the multinational Global Coalition Against Daesh (ISIS), formed when ISIS took control of swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in 2014.
Though Turkey has undertaken domestic operations against the extremist group, its efforts beyond its borders have been limited. Instead, it has conducted major cross-border offensives against the Kurdish-led forces that fought ISIS on the ground.
According to data by AA, ISIS has carried out at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks and four armed attacks in the last six years, killing some 315 people and injuring hundreds others.
A new report by Turkish security forces said that they arrested 204 ISIS suspects in raids in the month of October.
Turkey has been accused of financial and military support of ISIS, conduct Ankara has denied.
All arrests of Iraqis were made in raids conducted in the Black Sea province of Samsun, according to Anadolu Agency (AA). Police in the province were reportedly after 11 Iraqi suspects, but three remain at large.
Meanwhile, police in the western province of Izmir arrested five people with alleged links to Mahmut Ozden – a suspected senior member of ISIS who was previously arrested by security forces in Adana province, state-owned AA reported. Police also seized digital material at the houses of the suspects.
The ethnicity of the Iraqi arrestees is unknown, and the Iraqi government has yet to comment on the arrests.
Turkey is a member of the multinational Global Coalition Against Daesh (ISIS), formed when ISIS took control of swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in 2014.
Though Turkey has undertaken domestic operations against the extremist group, its efforts beyond its borders have been limited. Instead, it has conducted major cross-border offensives against the Kurdish-led forces that fought ISIS on the ground.
According to data by AA, ISIS has carried out at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks and four armed attacks in the last six years, killing some 315 people and injuring hundreds others.
A new report by Turkish security forces said that they arrested 204 ISIS suspects in raids in the month of October.
Turkey has been accused of financial and military support of ISIS, conduct Ankara has denied.