Turkish forces kill two 'IS militants' crossing from Syria

One was suspected of plotting a suicide attack in Turkey, local media has reported.

2 min read

30 June, 2016

Turkey has cracked down on IS after a string of deadly IS attacks [Anadolu]

Two suspected Islamic State group members, including one believed to be planning a suicide attack in Turkey, were killed on the Syrian border by Turkish security forces, news agencies reported on Thursday.

The two men were shot dead on Saturday, days ahead of the triple suicide bombings at Istanbul's Ataturk airport on Tuesday that left 42 people dead, the Anadolu and Dogan agencies said.

One of the suspects, named as Mohammad Arab, was planning an attack either in the Turkish capital Ankara or in the southern city of Adana, Dogan claimed.

Ankara was the scene of Turkey's worst ever attack last October when 103 people were killed in suicide bombings blamed on IS.

Special forces also rounded up several IS suspects in Istanbul early on Thursday, Dogan said. More than 200 police officers were involved in a series of 16 raids, in which 13 people were arrested. Police said the suspects were of Russian, Uzbek and Kygyz origin.

The government has said IS militants were likely behind the carnage at Istanbul airport, one of the busiest transport hubs in Europe. IS has not claimed responsibility, yet many analsyst, includig CIA director John Brennan, believe the attack resembles those carried out by the group.

Turkey has cracked down on IS after a string of deadly attacks blamed on the militants, who have seized swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, right up to the Turkish border.