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Turkey arrests 13 suspects for planning terror attacks

December 31, 2019 at 9:35 pm

Daesh militant, 13 September 2014 [Facebook]

Turkish police have arrested 13 foreign national suspects allegedly planning terror attacks targeting New Year’s celebrations on behalf of Daesh, said security sources on Tuesday, reports Anadolu Agency.

Early this morning anti-terror police units carried out raids at the addresses of suspects in the capital Ankara, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

While police arrested five suspects during the raids, another suspect was rounded up later as part of the ongoing operation.

READ: Police arrest 11 Daesh terror suspects in Turkey

Each of the suspects was allegedly planning a separate terror attack targeting celebrations, it added.

The suspects were found to be linked to the terrorist group Daesh in conflict zones of Syria and Iraq.

On social media, the suspects allegedly shared images of executions and armed training given to young children from the terror group’s website, according to the sources.

Police found a number of organisational documents of the terror group during searches at the addresses.

The sources also said the operation was ongoing and the number of detentions could rise.

Separately, police arrested one foreign national suspect in the southwestern Burdur province and six in Hatay, a southern province bordering Syria.

READ: Turkey arrests 3 Daesh suspects on eastern border

Turkey recognized Daesh as a terrorist organisation in 2013.

Since then, the country has been attacked by Daesh terrorists numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings and four-armed attacks which killed 315 people and injured hundreds.

In response, Turkey has launched military and police operations inside the country and abroad.