Security forces arrest 42 Daesh terror suspects


At least 42 people with suspected links to Daesh were arrested in Turkey, security sources said Thursday.

A total of 24 suspects were nabbed in operations by anti-terror teams in Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır and Bursa provinces, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The suspects recruited people into the terrorist group, attempted to bring terrorists from conflict zones into Turkey and conducted organizational meetings, the sources said.

A shotgun, ammunition, books, magazines and digital material were seized in the raids.

In southern Osmaniye province, 18 more Daesh suspects were arrested in operations by anti-terror teams, according to the sources.

The suspects were involved in terrorist propaganda operations, and their digital material was seized in the raids, they added.

In 2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare Daesh a terrorist group.

The country has since been attacked by Daesh terrorists multiple times, with 315 people killed and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks and four armed assaults.

In response, Turkey launched counterterrorism operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.