Police detain 8 foreign nationals in Turkey over Daesh links

Police detained eight foreign nationals in an operation targeting Daesh terrorists in Istanbul, reports said Thursday.

The suspected terrorists, including two female suspects, were detained in simultaneous operations in six districts, reports said.

Police confiscated organizational documents and digital materials during the raids.

The suspects were transferred to police stations following their detention.

Daesh, which is blamed for a string of terror attacks in Turkey over the past three years, saw a decline in membership with militants fleeing Syria and Iraq where it once controlled large swathes of land. Turkey helped Syrian moderate opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) in a 2016 operation in war-torn Syria to regain control of Daesh-controlled towns.

During the Operation Euphrates Shield, Turkish military had cleared northern Syrian towns of Jarablus, Azaz, al-Bab, Dabiq and al-Rai from the terrorist group. Following the Euphrates Shield operation, which ended in March 2017, Turkey has also put forward efforts to bring life back to normal and enable Syrians in Turkey to return back to their homes.

Foreigners looking to join Daesh in Syria have mostly attempted to use Turkey as their crossing point. Turkey has taken significant measures against foreign Daesh members and urged Western countries for intelligence cooperation. According to official figures, some 2,000 people were arrested, and 7,000 others were deported in operations against Daesh in Turkey, while around 70,000 people were denied entry to Turkey over their suspected links to the terrorist group. Security forces have also foiled at least 10 attack plots. Figures show that some 18,500 suspects are currently being monitored for links to the terrorist group after being identified at airports upon arrival.

Source: Daily Sabah