Four detained in raids on two ISIL cells in Turkey’s southeast

MARDİN

Police detained four Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) suspects on Sept. 18 in raids on two sleeping cells of the jihadist group in the southeastern province of Mardin, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Sept. 19. 

The operation was jointly held by the Mardin police and the National Intelligence Organization (MİT). 

Police said in a written statement that a “lone wolf” suspect, identified only as Hüseyin A. S., was captured in a house in the Artuklu district.

Another ISIL suspect, identified only as Aaed M., who was shot in Syria while fighting for ISIL and later crossed into Turkey to receive treatment, was also detained in the same operation. 

Authorities found numerous digital assets, documents and a balaclava in the search conducted in the house.

Another ISIL cell in the Mazıdağı district was raided in the same operation, where Abdurrahim E. and Ubeyde H. were captured for links to the group, it added. 

Separately, six people previously detained in the southern province of Adana for recruiting militants for ISIL were referred to a court on Sept. 19. 

One of the suspects, identified only as Mahmut Ö., was allegedly earning up to $7,000 for each militant he had recruited, according to Doğan News Agency.

And the recruited were persuading fighters to join the jihadist group for $2,000 each. 

ISIL has killed hundreds in separate bomb attacks in Turkey. In the bloodiest single attack on Oct. 10, 2015, at least 109 people were killed and more than 500 wounded by ISIL at a peace rally in the capital Ankara. 

In the latest strike, an ISIL gunman opened fire on the Reina nightclub in Istanbul just 75 minutes into New Year’s Day in 2017, killing 39 people.