Turkish security forces intercepted two Daesh terrorists attempting to illegally enter the country from Syria, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

The ministry noted that the terrorists were intercepted in southeastern Hatay near the Syrian border.

Turkey was one of the first countries to declare Daesh a terrorist group in 2013.

The country has since been attacked by the group’s terrorists multiple times.

The terrorist group has carried out at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks and four armed attacks, killing 315 people and injuring hundreds more.

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

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 United States authorities with critical information in locating him.

According to Interior Ministry figures, at least 2,000 people were arrested and 7,000 others deported in operations against Daesh in Turkey in the past few years, while around 70,000 people have been denied entry into the country over their suspected links to the terrorist group.