FROM AJMAL KHAN YOUSAFZAI
ANKARA: The Interior Ministry on Sunday reported that 18 terrorists, including Daesh’s so-called finance head, were captured during operations in Syria’s Jarablus and al-Bab regions.
According to the ministry’s statement, intelligence studies were carried out by elements of the Syrian Task Force Jarablus and al-Bab Gendarmerie Advisory Commands under the coordination of the Gaziantep Provincial Gendarmerie Command.
Thirteen Daesh terrorists were caught in the operations in Jarablus and al-Bab, including the so-called financial head of the organization and others who were involved in expanding the base, propaganda, recruiting personnel and gathering intelligence, and were also considered to be in search of action.
On the same day, five members of the PKK terrorist group who were determined to have been sent to the Jarablus region to carry out activities were also detained. In 2013, Türkiye became one of the first countries to declare Daesh a terrorist group.
The country has since been attacked by the terrorist group multiple times, with over 300 people killed and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks and four armed assaults.
In response, Türkiye launched counterterrorism operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks. Turkish security forces and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) dealt a severe blow to the Daesh terrorist group in the past three years, with senior members captured and terrorists’ plans uncovered.
