UPDATES NUMBER OF ARRESTED SUSPECTS, EDITS THROUGHOUT, ADDS DETAILS
By Cankut Tasdan
ANKARA (AA) – Turkish police arrested six foreign national suspects who were allegedly planning terrorist attacks around the time of New Year’s celebrations on behalf of Daesh/ISIS, according to security sources on Tuesday.
The anti-terror police units during early morning hours conducted raids at the addresses of suspects in the capital Ankara, said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
While the police arrested five suspects during the raids, another suspect was rounded up later on as part of the ongoing operation.
Each one of the suspects was allegedly planning a separate terror attack during the celebrations, it added.
It was identified that the suspects were linked to Daesh/ISIS terrorist organization in the conflict zones of Syria and Iraq.
On social media, the suspects shared some images, retrieved from the terror organization's website, of executions and armed training given to young children, according to the sources.
The police found a number of organizational documents of the terror group during the search at the addresses.
The sources also said the operation was ongoing and the number of detentions could rise.
Turkey recognized Daesh/ISIS as a terrorist organization in 2013.
Since then, the country has been attacked by Daesh/ISIS terrorists numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings and four armed attacks which killed 315 people and injured hundreds.
In response, Turkey has launched military and police operations inside the country and abroad.
