Two would-be ISIL bombers arrested in Istanbul

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

Two Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants allegedly preparing for a suicide attack were arrested, while five others who allegedly assisted them in the plot, were detained before being released on probation on Nov. 22 in Istanbul. 

Istanbul counter-terrorism police acted on a tip on Oct. 20, conducting raids at addresses in the Pendik, Tuzla and Maltepe districts of Istanbul and detaining seven suspects on Oct. 23. Two of them, 26-year-old Tajik B.M. and 23-year-old Uzbek A.B., were identified as ISIL militants whose names were on the group’s suicide bomber list, while five other Azerbaijani and Uzbek suspects, who were captured at separate addresses, were identified as assailants tasked with assisting the two potential bombers. 

During the raids, police teams also seized digital materials related to the group’s activities.

Information was found showing the two potential bombers were attempting to cross into Syria from Turkey to receive training for their planned act.

Meanwhile, counter-terrorism police teams carried out another operation targeting potential ISIL militants at addresses in the Sultanbeyli district of Istanbul. In the operation, teams captured 36 suspects from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan who came to Turkey to join ISIL. The suspects were taken to deportation centers to be returned to their countries.