Turkey Captures 4 ISIS Suspects before Sneaking into Syria

Two members of the police special forces patrol outside a police station after an attack in Istanbul, Turkey, Aug. 10, 2015. Photo: Reuters/Huseyin Aldemir
Two members of the police special forces patrol outside a police station after an attack in Istanbul, Turkey, Aug. 10, 2015. Photo: Reuters/Huseyin Aldemir
TT
20

Turkey Captures 4 ISIS Suspects before Sneaking into Syria

Two members of the police special forces patrol outside a police station after an attack in Istanbul, Turkey, Aug. 10, 2015. Photo: Reuters/Huseyin Aldemir
Two members of the police special forces patrol outside a police station after an attack in Istanbul, Turkey, Aug. 10, 2015. Photo: Reuters/Huseyin Aldemir

Border units from the Turkish armed forces captured Saturday four ISIS suspects in the Akcakale district of Sanliurfa in southeast Turkey, on the Syrian border while they were attempting to cross the frontier illegally.

One of the suspects, identified as Feride Samur, was being sought with a red notice arrest warrant.

ISIS armed members conducted offensives in some Turkish states that claimed more than 300 lives and wounded dozens. The group also claimed responsibility for the gunshot in Reina nightclub during New Year’s Eve 2017.

The group members used Turkey as a passage between Syria and Iraq, during the past years.

Turkish security forces on Sunday arrested 30 ISIS-linked suspects, all foreign nationals, in the capital Ankara before the New Year’s Eve 2019.

In a separate operation, Turkish security forces on Friday arrested 10 Iraqi nationals in the north of the country, suspecting them of having links to the ISIS. According to Anadolu Agency, the arrests were made in northern Samsun province of Turkey.

Turkey prevented some 347 terror acts in 2018, the country's interior minister Suleyman Soylu said. "Last year, we prevented 697 terror acts - which became 347 this year. There is a tremendous struggle and serious success that can't be ignored," Soylu said.

ISIS extremists are blamed in Turkey for a spate of terror attacks including a 2015 bombing on a peace rally in the capital Ankara's train station that claimed 103 lives and wounded more than 500.

In December 2018, Turkish security forces arrested 251 suspected ISIS members, according to data released by the country’s interior ministry.



Palestinian Authority Says Internet Down in Gaza After Attack on Fibre Optic Cable

Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
TT
20

Palestinian Authority Says Internet Down in Gaza After Attack on Fibre Optic Cable

Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed

The Palestinian Authority said internet and fixed-line communication services were down in Gaza on Thursday following an attack on the territory's last fibre optic cable it blamed on Israel.

"All internet and fixed-line communication services in the Gaza Strip have been cut following the targeting of the last remaining main fibre optic line in Gaza," the PA's telecommunications ministry said in a statement, accusing Israel of attempting to cut Gaza off from the world, AFP reported.

"The southern and central Gaza Strip have now joined Gaza City and the northern part of the Strip in experiencing complete isolation for the second consecutive day," the ministry said in a statement.

It added that its maintenance and repair teams had been unable to safely access the sites where damage occurred to the fibre optic cable.

"The Israeli occupation continues to prevent technical teams from repairing the cables that were cut yesterday", it said, adding that Israeli authorities had prevented repairs to other telecommunication lines in Gaza "for weeks and months".

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the communication lines were "directly targeted by occupation forces".

It said the internet outage was hindering its emergency services by impeding communication with first responder teams in the field.

"The emergency operations room is also struggling to coordinate with other organisations to respond to humanitarian cases."

Maysa Monayer, spokeswoman for the Palestinian communication ministry, told AFP that "mobile calls are still available with very limited capacity" in Gaza for the time being.

Now in its 21st month, the war in Gaza has caused massive damage to infrastructure across the Palestinian territory, including water mains, power lines and roads.