Türkiye Arrests 18 ‘ISIS’ Members in Two Security Operations

Members of the Turkish counter-terrorism forces during the raid of ISIS-affiliated members in Adana.
Members of the Turkish counter-terrorism forces during the raid of ISIS-affiliated members in Adana.
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Türkiye Arrests 18 ‘ISIS’ Members in Two Security Operations

Members of the Turkish counter-terrorism forces during the raid of ISIS-affiliated members in Adana.
Members of the Turkish counter-terrorism forces during the raid of ISIS-affiliated members in Adana.

Türkiye has arrested 17 ISIS members and an individual who attempted to sneak into the country through two operations in the two southern provinces Adana and Hatay.

The Minister of the Interior Ali Yerlikaya said that 17 members of the terrorist ISIS group were arrested in Adana and another individual was apprehended during his attempt to sneak into the Turkish lands.

Yerlikaya added on his X account that the counter-terrorism forces raided 23 sites in the province, arrested 17 individuals, and confiscated grenades and weapons.

He added that five of them were kept in custody while the other 12 were released but were put under judicial supervision.

In the meantime, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense arrested another ISIS member during his attempt to sneak into the country through the Syrian borders.

In a statement, the ministry revealed that the border guards in Hatay arrested someone who tried to illegally enter the Turkish lands.

Türkiye designated ISIS in 2013 and since then has been a target for several attacks which the group claimed responsibility for. These attacks killed more than 300 and wounded hundreds.

In response, Türkiye launched counter-terrorism operations in the country and abroad to avoid more attacks.

Since the beginning of 2017, the Turkish authorities arrested thousands of members and deported hundreds of others to their home countries.

Turkish security sources revealed that a total of 6,890 individuals were arrested during their attempt to enter the country in illegal ways, including 487 who are suspects of being part of terrorist organizations.

The Turkish authorities revealed that 487 individuals out of the arrested belong to ISIS and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The sources added that the Turkish forces prevented 248,000 persons from accessing the country by illegal means, arrested 7,000 illegal migrants, and apprehended 789 others for suspecting their affiliation with terrorist organizations in 2022.



Florida Man Shot Israeli Visitors Thinking They Were Palestinians, Police Say

 Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)
Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)
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Florida Man Shot Israeli Visitors Thinking They Were Palestinians, Police Say

 Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)
Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)

A Florida man was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder after shooting at a vehicle with two men who he thought were Palestinians but turned out to be Israeli visitors, local authorities and media reports said.

The website of Miami-Dade County Corrections says the suspect, 27-year-old Mordechai Brafman, was charged with two counts of attempted murder and booked on Sunday for the shooting on Saturday.

A police official confirmed earlier reports from local media that Brafman said in an interview with police that while he was driving his truck in Miami Beach, he saw two people he thought were Palestinian. He stopped, shot at and killed them.

However, the victims survived. One was shot in the shoulder and the other had a wounded forearm. They turned out to be Israeli visitors and not Palestinians, police said.

A representative or lawyer for Brafman could not be immediately identified by Reuters.

Human rights advocates say there has been a rise in anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and antisemitic hate in the United States since the start of US ally Israel's war in Gaza following an Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian group Hamas.