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Türkiye Arrests Members of Cell Suspected of ISIS Links

A photo showing a raid by the Turkish security forces on ISIS members (File)
A photo showing a raid by the Turkish security forces on ISIS members (File)
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Türkiye Arrests Members of Cell Suspected of ISIS Links

A photo showing a raid by the Turkish security forces on ISIS members (File)
A photo showing a raid by the Turkish security forces on ISIS members (File)

Turkish security forces arrested on Tuesday 20 ISIS members suspected of establishing a terrorist cell in the capital.

The Public Prosecution Office in Ankara said the arrest is part of an investigation launched by its Terrorism Crimes Office, against a group suspected of links to the terrorist organization ISIS.

In a statement, the Office added the suspected group was active in Ankara, noting that investigations into the suspects are currently continuing in the Anti-Terrorism Division.

Turkish police have stepped up operations against suspected ISIS militants particularly after the group claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Catholic church in Istanbul early this month.

Türkiye has detained 17 members of the ISIS Khorasan Province in an operation in Istanbul. Investigations revealed that they were involved in the attack on the Santa Maria Catholic Church, and of planning to establish a cell to train ISIS militants and send them to Middle Eastern countries.

The Turkish Counter-terrorism forces have also detained 147 people suspected of having ties to ISIS in operations across 33 provinces.

Last month, ISIS renewed its activities in the country after a pause of seven years.

Early in February, one Turkish citizen was killed by two ISIS gunmen at the Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul.

Authorities have already announced the arrest of 25 suspects in connection with the shooting.

Among the 25 remanded in custody were two suspected gunmen, previously captured by police, who are believed to be tied to ISIS. The first one is Amirjon Khliqov from Tajikistan and the other David Tanduev from Russia.

They were charged with being members of an illegal organization and aggravated intentional homicide. Another nine suspects were released pending trial.

Security sources said members of the ISIS Khorasan branch conducted activities against Türkiye and were in connection with the attack of the church.

ISIS claimed responsibility for terrorist attacks in Türkiye between 2015 and 2017, which killed more than 300 and wounded dozens. Türkiye designated the group as terrorist in 2013.

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Russia Advances in Ukraine at Fastest Monthly Pace Since Start of War, Analysts Say

A police officer drives a vehicle past burning trees during an evacuation of civilians from the outskirts of the Kurakhove town, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine September 16, 2024. (Reuters)
A police officer drives a vehicle past burning trees during an evacuation of civilians from the outskirts of the Kurakhove town, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine September 16, 2024. (Reuters)
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Russia Advances in Ukraine at Fastest Monthly Pace Since Start of War, Analysts Say

A police officer drives a vehicle past burning trees during an evacuation of civilians from the outskirts of the Kurakhove town, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine September 16, 2024. (Reuters)
A police officer drives a vehicle past burning trees during an evacuation of civilians from the outskirts of the Kurakhove town, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine September 16, 2024. (Reuters)

Russian forces are advancing in Ukraine at the fastest rate since the early days of the 2022 invasion, taking an area half the size of Greater London over the past month, analysts and war bloggers say.

The war is entering what some Russian and Western officials say could be its most dangerous phase after Moscow's forces made some of their biggest territorial gains and the United States allowed Kyiv to strike back with US missiles.

"Russia has set new weekly and monthly records for the size of the occupied territory in Ukraine," independent Russian news group Agentstvo said in a report.

The Russian army captured almost 235 sq km (91 sq miles) in Ukraine over the past week, a weekly record for 2024, it said.

Russian forces had taken 600 sq km (232 sq miles) in November, it added, citing data from DeepState, a group with close links to the Ukrainian army that studies combat footage and provides frontline maps.

Russia began advancing faster in eastern Ukraine in July just as Ukrainian forces carved out a sliver of its western region of Kursk. Since then, the Russian advance has accelerated, according to open source maps.

Russia's forces are moving into the town of Kurakhove, a stepping stone towards the logistical hub of Pokrovsk in Donetsk, and have been exploiting the vulnerabilities of Kyiv troops along the frontline, analysts said.

"Russian forces recently have been advancing at a significantly quicker rate than they did in the entirety of 2023," analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in a report.

The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said in its Monday update that 45 battles of varying intensity were raging along the Kurakhove part of the frontline that evening.

The Institute for the Study of War report and pro-Russian military bloggers say Russian troops are in Kurakhove. Deep State said on its Telegram messaging app on Monday that Russian forces are near Kurakhove.

"Russian forces' advances in southeastern Ukraine are largely the result of the discovery and tactical exploitation of vulnerabilities in Ukraine's lines," Institute analysts said in their report.

Russia says it will achieve all of its aims in Ukraine no matter what the West says or does.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly said peace cannot be established until all Russian forces are expelled and all territory captured by Moscow, including Crimea, is returned.

But outnumbered by Russian troops, the Ukrainian military is struggling to recruit soldiers and provide equipment to new units.

Zelenskiy has said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin's main objectives were to occupy the entire Donbas, spanning the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, and oust Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region, parts of which they have controlled since August.