Turkish authorities detained 22 Iraqi and Syrian ISIS suspects in security operation

Turkish authorities detained 22 Iraqi and Syrian ISIS suspects in security operation

Turkish police have detained 22 people suspected of links to the Islamic State (ISIS) during raids conducted in capital Ankara, left-wing Duvar news site reported on Monday.

The suspects, 17 Iraqis and five Syrians, were detained in simultaneous raids in the early hours of Monday as part of a security sweep ahead of Labor Day festivities, the newspaper said.

The suspects had entered Turkey illegally and had reportedly acted on behalf of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, it reported.

Turkey was hit by a wave of attacks blamed on ISIS and Kurdish militants in 2015 and 2016, which claimed the lives of around 300 people.

ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack during New Year celebrations at an Istanbul nightclub in the early hours of 2017.

A total of 39 people were killed, most of them foreigners.

Source: Ahval News