Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 31 Dec 2019, 05:25 am Print
Ankara/Sputnik: Turkish police have arrested five Syrian nationals who were preparing a terrorist attack during New Year's celebrations in Ankara, media reported on Tuesday.
According to the NTV broadcaster, the arrested Syrian citizens are associated with the Islamic State terrorist group.
Turkish police have stepped up operations in the run up to New Year’s Day. On Monday, Turkish police conducted raids in six provinces and arrested approximately 100 foreign nationals with alleged links to IS, some of them also from Syria.
Turkey deported nearly 780 foreign terrorists back to their countries of origin in 2019, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Sunday. In November, Soylu announced that 1,600 IS-linked militants were held by Turkish police and security forces.
Since 2011, Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict between various opposition groups, including the IS, and the government. Since it borders Syria to the north, Turkey has remained on alert when it comes to terrorists crossing its borders. This fall, the country launched a military operation with the aim of clearing its border area in northeastern Syria of terrorist groups, including the IS.
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