Turkish Forces Arrest ISIS Terrorist during Intelligence Operation in Syria

A Turkish special forces police officer guards the entrance of the Presidential Palace in Ankara. (Reuters file photo)
A Turkish special forces police officer guards the entrance of the Presidential Palace in Ankara. (Reuters file photo)
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Turkish Forces Arrest ISIS Terrorist during Intelligence Operation in Syria

A Turkish special forces police officer guards the entrance of the Presidential Palace in Ankara. (Reuters file photo)
A Turkish special forces police officer guards the entrance of the Presidential Palace in Ankara. (Reuters file photo)

Turkey has announced arresting a wanted ISIS terrorist during an intelligence operation in Syria.

Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) launched an operation to arrest Kasim Guler, also known as Abu Usame al Turki, who was allegedly planning for a large-scale terrorist attack in Turkey by illegally crossing the border from Syrian territory with arms and explosives.

Guler, who is responsible for activities in Turkey, is in the red category of the Interior Ministry’s wanted terrorists' list.

According to Turkish security sources, many documents and confidential information were obtained in his possession.

The ISIS element moved to border areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan during the period from 2008 until 2012 and later joined ISIS in 2014.

In other news, the anti-terrorism police arrested 17 people on Tuesday over their suspected links to ISIS.

The operations were conducted in four states, namely Diyarbakir, Bursa, Mugla, and Malatya.

Diyarbakir prosecutor had previously issued arrest warrants for 19 people, the sources noted, adding that security forces are still looking for the other two.

Forces seized in their possession pistols, digital documents, and banned books, the sources said.

Turkey witnessed attacks by ISIS militants in the country that killed over 300 people in 2015 and 2016.



South Korea Firefighters Deploy Helicopters as Wildfires Reignite

The wildfires ripped through worst-hit North Geyongsang province this week. ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
The wildfires ripped through worst-hit North Geyongsang province this week. ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
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South Korea Firefighters Deploy Helicopters as Wildfires Reignite

The wildfires ripped through worst-hit North Geyongsang province this week. ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
The wildfires ripped through worst-hit North Geyongsang province this week. ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP

South Korean firefighters deployed helicopters Saturday as the country's biggest wildfires on record that ravaged wide areas of its southeast reignited in one of the region's cities, an official said.
More than a dozen fires have been fanned by high winds and dry conditions, killing 29 people and injuring dozens more in southeastern regions, according to government data.
Fires were whipped up again early Saturday in Andong, a city in the worst-hit North Gyeongsang province, forcing authorities to deploy eight helicopters to the area, an official from the Korea Forest Service told AFP.
It came a day after the main fire in the province, where 25 of the 29 victims have died, was extinguished.
"It seems that the remaining embers have flared up a bit," said the official.
"We plan to deploy more helicopters to the area in Andong."
The fires there began on Saturday last week and rolled on for days.
More than 2,900 homes in the region have been completely destroyed, according to the latest figures.
An official said this week that more than 35,000 hectares (86,500 acres) of forest have been burned.
The fire also destroyed several historic sites, including the Gounsa temple complex in the southeastern city of Uiseong, which is believed to have been originally built in the 7th century.
The extent of the damage makes it South Korea's largest-ever wildfire.
Most of the victims in the region were elderly, according to the Korea Forest Service.
Those killed include a pilot in his 70s whose helicopter crashed Wednesday while he was trying to contain a fire.