Türkiye captures senior ISIL figure on Afghan-Pakistan border

ANKARA

The Turkish intelligence units have conducted a major operation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, capturing a Turkish national who held a senior role within the ISIL terrorist organization, security sources have announced.

The suspect was identified as Mehmet Gören, who allegedly served for ISIL Khorasan (ISIL-K), citing security sources.

Gören had been tasked with organizing suicide attacks targeting civilians in Türkiye, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Europe.

Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) found that Gören traveled from Türkiye to the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, where he operated in ISIL camps and rose through the ranks to a leadership position, according to sources.

He also allegedly survived airstrikes in Pakistan targeting ISIL jihadists.

ISIL-K, the local branch of the ISIL group, has claimed responsibility for some of the worst attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan and beyond in recent years, many targeting civilians.

In March 2024, ISIL-K gunmen killed more than 140 people at a Moscow concert hall and the group has carried out a series of deadly attacks in both Afghanistan and Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Türkiye has intensified intelligence and counterterrorism operations in recent years against ISIL networks operating both domestically and abroad, particularly those linked to the group's Khorasan affiliate.

Following intelligence-led tracking, Türkiye’s MİT identified Gören’s location and apprehended him in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area.

He was subsequently brought to Türkiye.

Gören allegedly worked alongside Özgür Altun, known by the code name "Abu Yasir Al Turki.”

The latter was previously arrested, transferred to Türkiye and jailed for facilitating the movement of militants from Türkiye to the region.