Turkish police authorities detained five Islamic State terrorists in operations in Istanbul and Kocaeli

Turkish security forces detained at least five Daesh terrorists suspects in Turkey’s Kocaeli province, a local authority said Monday.

According to the Kocaeli Governor’s Office, local gendarmerie squads carried out an operation to reveal and prevent the activities of the terror group in the province.

Security forces in Istanbul conducted a simultaneous operation in the metropolis and five suspects were arrested in total when gendarmerie units busted five separate addresses.

Turkey became one of the first countries to declare Daesh a terrorist group in 2013.

It has since been attacked by the terror group multiple times, with over 300 people killed and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed assaults.

In response, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.

Turkey detained Daesh’s so-called “Turkey emir,” Mahmut Özden, in August. He was planning to carry out an attack on the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and target politicians, nongovernmental organization (NGO) heads and other prominent figures in Turkey, according to the official investigation.

Police deciphered Daesh’s encrypted messages sent by the terrorist ringleaders in Syria and Iraq, with a wide range of instructions, including kidnapping tourist groups, prosecutors and deputies, attacking the Incirlik Air Base in Adana and other plans.

Source: Daily Sabah