Three ISIL suicide bombers arrested in Turkey’s southeast

GAZİANTEP

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Three people accused of planning suicide attacks on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have been arrested in the southeastern provinces of Gaziantep and Adıyaman, the Gaziantep Governor’s Office said in a statement on Feb. 28.

According to the statement, authorities identified three ISIL groups engaging in activities in the country at a “senior level” during counter-terrorism operations.

Three suspects, E.S., M.Y. and A.P., were trained as fighters and suicide bombers but were apprehended due to the testimony of another two suspects, identified as Murat Dayan and Mehmet Fatih Alıcı, the office said.

E.S. and M.Y. were apprehended on Feb. 14 in Gaziantep while A.P. was detained on Feb. 22 in Adıyaman, according to the statement.

The three suspects were later arrested while the other two were released on probation, the statement read.

It also noted that Mehmet Fatih Alıcı, who was responsible for the military wing of the jihadist group in the area, was apprehended on Feb. 7 and later arrested, ultimately leading to the apprehension of E.S., M.Y. and A.P.

Gaziantep, which is home to some of the largest number of Syrian refugees, was hit by ISIL on Aug. 20, 2016, when the jihadist group targeted a street wedding, claiming 59 lives, mostly children, and wounding more than 90.

Just four days after the attack, the Turkish military launched a military operation into northern Syria dubbed the Euphrates Shield to clear its borders of the jihadist group and other terrorist elements.