Turkish police have arrested a Daesh member plotting a terrorist attack in Istanbul, authorities said Friday.
Daesh culprit C.A., who was trained for terrorist attacks, entered Istanbul through illegal routes and was preparing for a bomb attack.
He was arrested in a raid at a flat in the Bağcılar district after being surveilled for 24 hours, police said.
Security forces similarly detained 33 suspects tied to Daesh who were preparing a series of attacks ahead of the local elections earlier in March.
The network was providing personnel for war zones and financial support for Daesh while operating from illegal mosques and religious schools, he said.
Türkiye has ramped up operations against Daesh terrorists after the group attacked an Istanbul church in late January, killing a civilian man during Sunday Mass.
Daesh operates a so-called Khorasan Province (Daesh-K) network in Türkiye, which is looking for new “methods” and recruits more foreign members for its activities after constant counterterrorism operations became a “challenge,” security sources say.
Daesh remains the second biggest threat of terrorism for Türkiye, which faces security risks from multiple terrorist groups and was one of the first countries to declare it as a terrorist group in 2013.
In December last year, Turkish security forces detained 32 suspects over alleged links with Daesh, who were planning attacks on churches and synagogues, as well as the Iraqi Embassy.
