Turkey detains dozens of Islamic State suspects in pre-New Year sweep
At least 33 foreign nationals were detained in the capital Ankara in a joint operation by anti-terrorism police and the national intelligence agency, Anadolu reported.
Police conducted simultaneous, pre-dawn raids in the city of Batman, in southeast Turkey, where 22 suspects were detained. Raids were also conducted in the cities of Adana and Kayseri where 15 people, including six foreign nationals were detained.
According to Anadolu, the IS suspects apprehended in the Turkish capital were from Iraq, Syria and Morocco. Police were searching for some 17 other suspects, the report said.
The country was hit by a wave of attacks in 2015 and 2016 blamed on IS and Kurdish militants that killed more than 300 people.
Twitter Post
|
Among them was a devastating attack at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year celebrations in the early hours of 2017.
IS claimed responsibility the attack, which killed 39 people, most of them foreigners.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay connected