15 Daesh/ISIS suspects caught by Turkish security forces in 3 provinces, including Istanbul

By Emrah Gokmen and Irem Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - In anti-terror operations against Daesh/ISIS in three provinces centered in Istanbul, Turkish security forces detained 15 suspects, and 10 were later arrested, according to an official statement on Tuesday.

Coordinated efforts led by the Istanbul Security Directorate's counterterrorism and intelligence branches and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) aimed to capture 20 suspects linked to Deash/ISIS’ so-called Khorasan Province (ISKP) network in Türkiye, said a police statement.

Operations were carried out at 23 addresses, including one each in the provinces of Kocaeli and Yalova, and eight districts in the Istanbul metropolis.

It said 12 suspects were detained, along with three more suspects, including two from the ongoing operation and one related to the Jan. 28 attack on Istanbul’s Santa Maria Church, in which one person was killed.

Out of the total 15 suspects, five were placed under judicial control measures, while 10 were arrested and remanded to correctional facilities, it added.

Tuesday’s operations follow seventeen suspected members of the Daesh/ISIS terrorist organization linked to the church attack apprehended last Saturday.

In 2013, Türkiye became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist organization.

The country has since been attacked by the terror group multiple times, with over 300 people killed and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed attacks. In response, Türkiye launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.