12 foreign, 5 Turkish ISIL suspects captured in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

A total of 17 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) suspects, including 12 foreigners, were captured on May 19 across Istanbul, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported. 

Anti-terrorism police raided six different addresses in Istanbul’s Silivri, Maltepe, Bağcılar and Güngören districts simultaneously, capturing the suspects.  

Following a period of surveillance, police determined a number of addresses that were allegedly connected to ISIL and raided them. Special operation police also supported the raids amid tightened security measures.

Five ISIL suspects were detained, while a number of digital materials and documents were also seized by police during the raids.

Those captured included 12 foreigners who were about allegedly about to travel to Syria and Iraq to join ISIL.
The suspects, including two minors, were taken to an anti-terror police branch in Istanbul. 

On May 5, Turkish police detained 12 people, including eight foreign nationals, in an operation targeting suspected ISIL members in the southern province of Adana. 

Police carried out simultaneous operations on nine different addresses after receiving intelligence. They conducted an extensive search at the targeted addresses and surroundings.

Of the 12 suspects detained, two are Iraqi nationals, five are Syrian nationals and five are Turkish nationals, Anadolu Agency reported.