Senior ISIL leader detained in Istanbul operations

ISTANBUL

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A senior Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) leader based in Istanbul was among those detained in a series of sweeping police operations, according to Anadolu Agency.

Halis Bayancuk, a senior ISIL leader based in Istanbul, also known by his jihadi nickname “Abu Hanzala,” was detained on July 24 along with his wife in an anti-terror police operation against ISIL-linked suspects in Istanbul, the agency said.

Bayancuk and his wife were arrested as the police raided their home in Istanbul’s Bağcılar district and seized a number of ISIL-linked documents, both digital and non-digital. 

He was reported to be the leader of an ISIL-linked group based in Istanbul, and was under arrest for a time last year following a police operation against al-Qaeda. Bayancuk also reportedly penned articles for several pro-ISIL media outlets and conducted militant recruiting activities.

Meanwhile, a court ruling has barred several pro-ISIL websites from publishing.