Omer Yildiz, Eren Bozkurt and Necat Hazar
24 December 2020•Update: 24 December 2020
ADANA/VAN, Turkey
At least 34 Daesh/ISIS suspects have been arrested in anti-terror operations in Turkey, security sources said on Thursday.
In the eastern Van province, counter-terrorism police and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) launched an operation against 34 suspects who were found to be affiliated with the terror group.
Of them, 31 suspects were arrested at their addresses where many organization-related documents and digital materials were seized, according to local police department.
Separately anti-terror teams of police in the southern Adana province launched an operation to nab five Daesh/ISIS suspects after arrest warrants were issued for them, said a source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
So far three of them have been arrested, and the operation is ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects, it added.
In 2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist group.
The country has since been attacked by Daesh/ISIS terrorists multiple times, with 315 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.
*Writing by Burak Bir and Sena Guler
