At least 9 Daesh/ISIS suspects caught in Turkey

By Halil Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish security forces rounded up nine foreign nationals over their alleged links to the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group in the metropolis of Istanbul, security sources said on Saturday.

Anti-terror police teams launched an operation to nab the suspects, believed to be part of groups planning attacks on behalf of Daesh/ISIS, said the sources, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Police carried out simultaneous raids at 13 locations in five different districts of Istanbul.

A large number of digital materials and organizational documents were also seized during the raids.

Three of the suspects remain in police custody and six have been released on prosecutor's orders.

Turkey was one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terror group.

The country has since been attacked by Daesh/ISIS terrorists multiple times. The group has carried out at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed attacks, killing 315 people and injuring hundreds more.

In response, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar