UPDATE - Turkey: 11 Daesh/ISIS suspects detained in Istanbul

UPDATES WITH MORE ARRESTS, REVISES HEADLINE, LEAD; MINOR EDITS

By Halil Demir and Recep Bilek

ISTANBUL/SAMSUN (AA) – At least 11 foreign nations were arrested in Turkey over their alleged links to the Daesh/ISIS terror group, security sources said on Wednesday.

Turkish security forces searched 12 different addresses in Istanbul and arrested eight suspects. The suspects had allegedly stayed in conflict zones in Iraq and Syria for a long time.

Several organizational documents and digital materials were also seized in the operation.

Separately, three more suspects – all Iraqi nationals – were arrested in the Ilkadim district of northern Samsun province, as police teams conducted raids at various addresses.

Some digital materials were also seized in the raids.

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

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 assaults.

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

*Writing by Seda Sevencan