3 Daesh/ISIS terror suspects nabbed in Turkish capital

By Ismet Karakas

ANKARA (AA) - At least three suspects with alleged links to the Daesh terrorist group, also known as ISIS, were arrested in the Turkish capital Ankara on Friday, according to security sources.

Acting on a tip-off, special unit police teams conducted simultaneous operations to arrest four terror suspects, including three foreign nationals, said the sources, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

One of the suspects is thought to be one of the so-called senior members of Daesh/ISIS in the Jazeera region, the source said.

Another suspect was an active operative of the terror group between 2014 and 2016 in the Sinjar region in northern Iraq.

Along with the suspects, $18,300 and 24,000 Turkish liras ($2,970) were also confiscated.

Efforts are underway to apprehend a fourth suspect, the source added.

In 2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist group.

The country 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.

*Writing by Ahmet Gencturk