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Islamic State

Turkish forces capture four Islamic State suspects on Syrian border

Government officials say border units arrested the men in Sanliurfa as they attempted to cross into the country illegally
Turkey blames Islamic State for a series of attacks on Turkish soil (AFP)
By MEE and agencies
Published date: 2 February 2019 13:33 GMT | Last update: 7 years 1 month ago

Turkish forces have captured four Islamic State (IS) suspects on the Syrian border as they attempted to cross into the country illegally, government officials said on Saturday. 

Border units arrested the suspects on Friday in the Akcakale district of Sanliurfa in southeast Turkey. 

Among the suspects caught were Feride Samur, who has a red notice arrest warrant against his name, the AFP news agency reported.

Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar meanwhile on Saturday reiterated Ankara's efforts to "fight terrorism until the end" during a meeting with commandos on the border with Iraq, according to the Anadolu agency.  

Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the Turkish border has been a major crossing point for foreign fighters attempting to enter Syria.

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IS have been blamed in Turkey for a spate of attacks, including a 2015 bombing on a peace rally in the capital Ankara's train station that claimed 100 lives. 

Turkey has boosted security at its border crossings to prevent any infiltrations and allowed a US-led international coalition to launch air raids on IS bases in Syria from its soil.

 

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