Turkey dealt major blow to Daesh/ISIS terror in October

By Volkan Kasik

MALATYA, Turkey (AA) - Dealing a major blow to the terror group Daesh/ISIS, Turkey prevented numerous terror attacks this October, said security officials on Monday.

According to a new report by security officials, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT), police, gendarme, and border guards arrested 204 Daesh/ISIS terror suspects and seized a large number of arms, ammunition, and organizational document during nationwide anti-terror operations last month.

Of the detained suspects – some of whom are suspected of being active in Syria – 26 were put in jail, some were deported, and some others are still working their way through the legal system, the report noted.

The report said that many of the Daesh/ISIS suspects had foreign origins such as Iraq, Finland, Syria and Tunisia. Owing to successful operations in October against the organization, some senior terrorists, including Tunisian national Soumaya Raissi, were also arrested, and possible terror attacks were prevented.

Raissi, 30, wanted by French authorities, was identified as "dangerous."

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

It has since been attacked multiple times by Daesh/ISIS terrorists, with at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed attacks that have killed 315 people and injured hundreds more.

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

*Writing by Ahmet Gencturk