UPDATE - Türkiye nabs 40 foreign nationals in raids against Daesh/ISIS terror group

UPDATES WITH MORE SUSPECTS, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Ugur Ulu and Cankut Tasdan

ANKARA/BURSA, Türkiye (AA) - At least 40 foreign nationals were detained in raids across Türkiye against the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group, a security source said on Thursday.

Security forces in the northwestern Bursa province carried out simultaneous raids to nab 16 suspects who were found to be operating on behalf of Daesh/ISIS in Syria and Iraq, added the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The suspects are Syrian, Iraqi, and Azerbaijani nationals.

Separately, 24 foreign nationals with suspected links to the Daesh/ISIS terror group were arrested in Türkiye’s capital Ankara, security sources said on Thursday.

Police launched raids against 30 suspects who were found to be in contact with Daesh/ISIS members in conflict zones. Efforts are underway to nab the remaining suspects.

In 2013, Türkiye 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, Türkiye launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara