Explosives seized at Syria border

HATAY

A twin-bomb attack killed 52 and wounded more than 100 in the southern district of Reyhanlı. DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah GÜREL

Syrian rebel forces aiming to oust the al-Assad regime have seized 400 kilograms of explosives near the Cilvegözü border gate in the southern province of Hatay.

Rebels carried out a search in a Syrian-plated car crossing into Turkey from Syria at the Bab al-Hawa border gate, Doğan news agency reported, citing sources close to the rebels. A total of 400 kilograms explosives were seized and the security in Hatay was increased.

The Cilvegözü-Bab al-Hawa gate lies less than 10 kilometers from Reyhanlı town center, where a twin-bomb attack killed 52 and wounded more than 100 on May 11. The Cilvegözü border had also been the target of a car bomb attack on February 11.

Five arrested

Trade and Customs Minister Hayati Yazıcı said late last month that Turkey would build a 2.5-kilometer-long wall along the Cilvegözü border gate with Syria to prevent illegal crossings. Meanwhile, five people have been arrested in the southern province of Adana out of a group of 12 people from Syria’s al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra The militants had allegedly been planning an attack inside Turkey and were in possession of the nerve agent sarin.

The group was detained during raids at their addresses where police uncovered 2 kilograms of sarin. Al-Nusra is one of the most effective forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri in April.