Turkey strikes Daesh/ISIS terror group in November

By Volkan Kasik

MALATYA, Turkey (AA) – Turkish security forces continued to strike the Daesh/ISIS terror group all through November, arresting hundreds of suspects and thwarting planned attacks.

According to data compiled by Anadolu Agency, 294 suspects with links to the terrorist group were apprehended in operations by Turkish police, gendarmerie, and border forces.

At least 81 of the suspects were jailed, while several were deported or faced other legal proceedings.

Large amounts of weapons, ammunition, and documents were also seized in the operations against the terror group.

- Major operations in November

Two Daesh/ISIS terrorists were arrested in Turkey’s central Kayseri province.

One of the suspects, identified by the initials H.E., was the group’s so-called emir in Raqqa, Syria, between 2014 and 2018, according to a security source, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

He was involved in multiple illegal activities and trying to keep the terror group operational in Turkey, the source said.

The other suspect, a Syrian national identified by the initials Y.S., was identified by authorities as an executioner for Daesh/ISIS.

Another major blow to the terror group last month was the arrest of two Daesh/ISIS suspects, both foreign nationals, in Turkey’s capital Ankara.

The suspects, accused of conducting reconnaissance and gathering information for the terror group, were apprehended in a joint operation by police counterterrorism teams and the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT).

In 2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terror 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 Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara