Suspects linked to perpetrator of IS attack on Berlin market caught in Istanbul airport
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DHA
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 21, 2017 10:54
Suspects linked to perpetrator of IS attack on Berlin market caught in Istanbul airport
Haberin Devamı
Istanbul, Mar 21 (DHA) - Three suspects allegedly linked to the slain perpetrator of an Islamic State (IS) attack on a Christmas market in Berlin last year have been apprehended at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport, Turkey’s Interior Ministry announced on Monday.
Police caught Lebanese-origin German citizen suspects, identified as Mohammad Ali Khan, Youssef Darwiche and Bilal Yosef Mahmoud, at Istanbul’s main airport upon intelligence that they would try to go to Europe, the ministry stated.
A truck plowed into a crowded Christmas market in the German capital on Dec. 19, 2016, killing 12 people and wounding 49 others.
The jihadist group had claimed responsibility for the truck rampage one day later.
The suspects’ apprehension comes one week after police in the western province of İzmir caught an IS militant who allegedly ordered the attack.
The Jordanian-origin German man, identified only by the initials W.D., had arrived in Turkey via illegal means to cross into Greece after the attack. He was suspected of giving the order of the attack to Tunisian-origin IS militant Anis Amir, who was killed in Milano and subsequently arrested.
According to examinations of Amir’s phone, some suspected names were in Turkey.
On March 11, a Syrian-origin IS suspect, identified only by the initials M.A.K., was also believed to be in İzmir and was caught in a raid on the hotel where he was staying.
M.A.K. said he arrived in İzmir to cross into Greece and was reportedly planning to stage attacks in Europe.
He was also arrested pending trial by a Turkish court on Monday.
Previously, two other suspects had been apprehended in Istanbul after police established their connections with Amir and they were later arrested.
Separately, the ministry announced on Monday that some 24 militants were “neutralized” during security operations over the past week, with 13 of them were killed and the other 11 surrendered to security forces.
A truck plowed into a crowded Christmas market in the German capital on Dec. 19, 2016, killing 12 people and wounding 49 others.
The jihadist group had claimed responsibility for the truck rampage one day later.
The suspects’ apprehension comes one week after police in the western province of İzmir caught an IS militant who allegedly ordered the attack.
The Jordanian-origin German man, identified only by the initials W.D., had arrived in Turkey via illegal means to cross into Greece after the attack. He was suspected of giving the order of the attack to Tunisian-origin IS militant Anis Amir, who was killed in Milano and subsequently arrested.
According to examinations of Amir’s phone, some suspected names were in Turkey.
On March 11, a Syrian-origin IS suspect, identified only by the initials M.A.K., was also believed to be in İzmir and was caught in a raid on the hotel where he was staying.
M.A.K. said he arrived in İzmir to cross into Greece and was reportedly planning to stage attacks in Europe.
He was also arrested pending trial by a Turkish court on Monday.
Previously, two other suspects had been apprehended in Istanbul after police established their connections with Amir and they were later arrested.
Separately, the ministry announced on Monday that some 24 militants were “neutralized” during security operations over the past week, with 13 of them were killed and the other 11 surrendered to security forces.