Ankara, Turkey – In a high-profile intelligence operation reflecting growing regional coordination against terrorist threats, Turkish authorities, in cooperation with their Syrian counterparts, announced the arrest of 10 members of the ISIS terrorist organization.
According to Turkish broadcaster TRT, nine of these suspects – who were wanted under Interpol Red Notices – were extradited to Turkey for further investigation and prosecution.
extensive criminal record
Security information indicates that the list of detainees includes highly dangerous individuals. One is suspected of direct or indirect involvement in the deadly attack that rocked Ankara’s main train station in late 2015, which left more than 100 dead. Two others from the group face charges of planning and actively participating in deadly attacks targeting Turkish military positions in northern Syria.
Official Turkish data indicates that these individuals joined the ranks of the terrorist organization in Syria between 2014 and 2017. This period witnessed the peak of the organization’s activity and its control over vast areas.
Security drain in the north and east
This operation comes at a time of escalating security instability in the region, as various actors seek to empty the overcrowded camps and detention centers in northern Syria. This was evident in the US-backed operations earlier this year to transfer ISIS prisoners to Iraq.
Meanwhile, ISIS continues to try to assert its presence through a war of attrition. About a week ago, it launched a car bomb attack targeting a Syrian government security checkpoint in the town of Mayadin in the Deir ez-Zor countryside, killing at least five people.
Challenges facing the new government
This attack represents the most significant security breach against the headquarters of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government since it came to power late last year. This poses a real test for the security institutions. In a related development, the internal security forces in Raqqa and Aleppo announced their success in thwarting a series of simultaneous suicide attacks and dismantling terrorist cells that were targeting military checkpoints and government buildings. This is a clear indication of the organization’s efforts to intensify its activity in its traditional strongholds in the east of the country.
