ISTANBUL: Some 115 alleged members of the Daesh group suspected of planning attacks during the end-of-year holidays have been arrested in Turkiye, Istanbul’s prosecutor general said on Thursday.
His office said he had ordered the arrest of 137 people, of whom 115 so far have been detained, “following intelligence indicating that the Daesh terrorist organization was planning attacks during Christmas and New Year celebrations.”
Turkiye shares a 900-kilometer (559-mile) border with Syria, where militant groups are still active.
Washington recently blamed a lone Daesh gunman for an attack in Palmyra, Syria, on December 13 in which two US soldiers and an American civilian died.
This week, Turkiye’s intelligence agency also conducted an operation on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area, capturing a Turkish national who it said held a senior role in the Daesh group.
At the time of his arrest, Mehmet Goren, since transferred to Turkiye, was accused of organizing suicide attacks targeting civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkiye, and Europe.
Turkiye detains 115 alleged Daesh members
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Turkiye detains 115 alleged Daesh members
- Prosecutors had ordered the arrest of 137 people, of whom 115 so far have been detained
- Turkiye shares a 900-kilometer border with Syria, where militant groups are still active
Syrian government foils Daesh plot to attack churches and New Year celebrations
- Bomber kills soldier in Aleppo, detonates explosives injuring 2 others
ALEPPO, DAMASCUS: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that it had thwarted a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.
The ministry said in a statement that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and careful monitoring of Daesh cells in cooperation with partner agencies, it had received intelligence indicating plans for suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas.
The ministry added that it took preemptive measures, including reinforcing security around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and setting up checkpoints across the city.
During operations at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab Al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security soldier was killed, and the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.
Daesh recently increased its attacks in Syria, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in an attack Washington blamed on a lone Daesh gunman in Palmyra.
In retaliation, American forces struck scores of Daesh targets in Syria.
Syrian authorities have also carried out several operations against Daesh since then, saying on Dec. 25 they had killed a senior leader of the group.
