(RepublicanView.org) – Officials in Turkey have engaged in a crackdown against suspected affiliates of the Islamic terrorist group ISIS (or ISIL).
The Turkish government conducted the operation in 32 of its provinces. The military has expanded its operations against the militant group and Kurdish forces since the beginning of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. An explosion nearly destroyed a government building in Turkey shortly after the war started in October.
The majority of the suspects, of whom there were over 300, were apprehended in Turkey’s 3 largest cities: Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara. All operations were conducted at the same time to avoid a coordinated escape or retaliation. No details have been released about the suspects.
The Turkish government has increased efforts after eight years of bombings that occur regularly. Many of those attacks have been attributed to ISIS and its supporters. The government said that it killed Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, the group’s leader, earlier this year.
They have also cracked down on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey has classified the group a terrorist organization. Its members bombed Ankara on October 1, just weeks before Hamas attacked Israel. The government arrested nearly 100 suspects shortly after.
ISIS still remains a formidable threat on a global scale. Europe has warned of an increased threat from the group on New Year’s Eve. They have also stepped up their recruiting efforts. A man in Colorado was arrested in December after authorities said he was trying to join the terrorist group. The 18-year-old from Westminster was detained at the Denver Airport while waiting for a flight to the Middle East.
Copyright 2023, RepublicanView.org
