Authorities captured a German couple linked to the terrorist group Daesh in Akçakale, a Turkish town bordering Syria. The suspects identified as Sarah Q., a dual citizen of Germany and Algeria, and İsmail S., a dual citizen of Germany and Turkey, were among 31 suspects captured in the town during a counterterrorism sweep.

The couple infiltrated into the Turkish side from war-torn Syria. Doğan News Agency reported that the U.S. had issued an arrest warrant for İsmail S. He was remanded in custody while Sarah Q. was taken to the local directorate of the police department handling foreign suspects and will be handed to Interpol officials. Media outlets reported that the couple was engaged in pro-Daesh propaganda online to recruit people.

Turkey, which shares a border with Iraq and Syria, two countries where the terrorist group rose to prominence amid regional turmoil, has been at the forefront of efforts to contain Daesh, which has launched a string of attacks in the country over the past three years.

Amid fears that Daesh militants who fled Syria may likely hit Europe and Turkey, the authorities heightened crackdowns against the terrorist group with almost daily operations to net suspected militants. Though Daesh lost many strongholds in Iraq and Syria, a controversial deal between the militants and Syrian groups linked to the PKK, a major terrorist group that carries out attacks in Turkey, helped their safe evacuation in Syria. Turkey shares a lengthy border with war-torn Syria and struggles to keep it safe from infiltration through a giant border wall currently under construction. The country has stopped 5,800 foreign recruits for Daesh on its borders and arrested around 10,000 members of the terrorist group in continuous operations.