3 N.Zealand nationals held near border with Syria: Turkey

By Burak Dag

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish security forces caught three New Zealand nationals, including a wanted Daesh/ISIS terrorist, near the border with Syria when they were trying to enter the country illegally, the National Defense Ministry said on Monday.

"Three New Zealand nationals trying to enter our country illegally from Syria were caught by our border guards in Hatay's Reyhanli district," the ministry said on Twitter.

Among those captured was a Daesh/ISIS terrorist, a 26-year-old woman only identified by the initials S.A. She was wanted by Interpol with blue notice, which is issued to collect additional information about a person's identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.

Turkey was one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS as a terror group in 2013.

The country has since been attacked by Daesh/ISIS terrorists multiple times. The terror group has carried out at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed attacks, killing 315 people and injuring hundreds more.

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