Turkey Arrests 32 Suspected ISIS Members
Turkish security forces arrested 32 people suspected of links to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Saturday.
The arrests were carried out in a series of early morning raids by intelligence and police forces in several provinces across Turkey.
Among those arrested were three senior ISIS fighters, according to Turkish authorities. The suspects are believed to have been planning attacks on synagogues, churches, and the Iraqi embassy in Ankara.
The arrests come a week after Turkish police arrested 304 suspected ISIS militants in simultaneous raids across the country
It is believed that Turkish security forces are stepping up their efforts to prevent potential attacks during the upcoming New Year’s holidays.
Turkey has been a major target for ISIS since the group’s rise to power in Iraq and Syria in 2014. The group has carried out a number of deadly attacks in Turkey, including a suicide bombing in Istanbul in 2016 that killed 44 people. The Turkish government has been waging a war against ISIS since 2015. Turkish forces have played a key role in the fight against the group in Syria and Iraq.