Turkish police are holding seven Syrians and an Iraqi national for suspected links to the Daesh terrorist group, security sources said Wednesday.
The Syrians were nabbed in anti-terror operations in the western province of İzmir, said sources who wished to remain anonymous.
The arrested are accused of working for the terrorist group, with one suspect still at large.
Separately, police rounded up an Iraqi allegedly linked to the terrorist group in central Niğde province.
Although the terrorist group has been largely defeated in Iraq and Syria, its presence still poses a threat, as individuals following its ideology encourage others to carry out violence. European analysts warn that Daesh attacks carried out by isolated individuals who are not under the watch of intelligence services have become more common.
Turkey recognized Daesh as a terrorist group in 2013 and since then has suffered numerous attacks at the hands of the organization including four armed assaults, seven bombings and 10 suicide bombings resulting in the death of 315 with hundreds more injured.
In response, Turkey launched military and police operations domestically and abroad, capturing top Daesh members in counterterrorism efforts at home and in Syria.
Turkish intelligence played a key role in the death of Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by detaining and extraditing one of his aides to Iraq, who then provided U.S. authorities with critical information for locating him.
