Sixteen IS suspects arrested in northern Syria, says Turkish interior ministry

The Turkish interior ministry announced on Thursday that it had detained 16 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) group, including a judge.

The arrests took place in coordination with Syrian opposition groups, backed by Ankara, in Al-Bab, a city located in an area controlled by Turkish-backed forces close to Syria's northern border.

Weapons were found in their possession, the Turkish interior ministry said, with 15 taken to prison. There was no information on the fate of the 16th suspect or any other details.

The ministry announced the arrest of 18 IS suspects early last month, including a leader of the group.

Despite losing the territory it once controlled in war-torn Syria, IS sleeper cells continue to claim attacks in the country and neighbouring Iraq.

While Turkey backs Syrian rebel groups, Russia and Iran have supported the Assad regime throughout the 12-year conflict, with Moscow militarily intervening on the regime's side in 2015.

More than half a million people are believed to have been killed and millions more displaced, mostly due to regime bombing of civilian areas.