By Cemil Murat Budak
ANKARA (AA) - Three Daesh suspects were remanded in custody on Thursday for their alleged ties to suspected members of the terrorist group who were killed in a police operation last month in the Turkish capital Ankara, according to a police source.
The two suspected Daesh members were killed in a police raid on May 21 after Azerbaijani national Ebu Huseyin Celilov, who had driven them to the city from Istanbul, confessed to plans for a terrorist attack after being arrested in Istanbul.
Ankara prosecutors then extended the investigation, leading to the arrest of Celilov's girlfriend Elvana Shalbuzova and Russian national Ramazan Kurbanov, who allegedly had ties with the two suspected terrorists.
The three suspects on Thursday were taken to court and remanded for membership in an armed terror group, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
The source said the arrest dates of the three have not been released due to the confidential nature of the investigation.
About the raid, Ankara Governor Ercan Topaca said in a statement that a police search of the residence found weapons, hand grenades, and highly explosive roadside bombs.
He added that the terrorists were planning to carry out armed attacks on a recent congress of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and other targets in Ankara on May 21.
According to figures released by Turkish authorities, nearly 170 suspects linked to Daesh were arrested across Turkey last month.
The figures show that over 40 of the 168 Daesh suspects were remanded in custody to face trial on a variety of charges.