Turkish police arrested seven Islamic State suspects including five Syrian nationals

Police in Turkey arrested seven people, including five Syrian nationals, for ties to the so-called Islamic State, local media reported on Tuesday.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency said authorities conducted an operation in the western Izmir province, where they detained seven people “who had entered Turkey from conflict zones.”

“The suspects were in contact with people in conflict zones and were plotting terrorist attacks,” Anadolu Agency quoted police sources as saying.

Late last year, authorities in Turkey said they had apprehended 31 foreign suspects with alleged ties to the Islamic State in central and eastern parts of the country.

Among those arrested were nine Iraqi nationals in central Kayseri province for “their terror activities in Iraq and Syria,” Anadolu Agency said.

Police also seized weapons, ammunition, digital materials, and other documents during the sweeps.

On Christmas day, Turkish police arrested three other people with alleged ties to the Islamic State who were reportedly trying to cross into the country’s eastern border.

A week prior, authorities in Turkey arrested 13 individuals suspected to be members of the Islamic State who were allegedly planning a New Year’s attack.

Meanwhile, Ankara has repatriated over 110 foreign fighters in its custody, especially those with membership in the Islamic State.

Source: Kurdistan 24