Turkish forces have detained “one of the main leaders” of the Islamic State (IS) “jihadist” group, which had ties in Syria and Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.
The head of the Turkish state said that this Islamic leader is known under the pseudonym Abu Zeid, but his real name is Bashar Khattab Ghazal al-Sumaydai.
Erdogan, who announced the arrest in a speech to reporters after returning to Turkey after touring three Balkan countries, explained that a UN report released in July called Al-Sumaidai “one of the main leaders of the terrorist organization.”
Turkish media reported that there is some evidence that the top leadership of ISIS may be a man known as Abu Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, an Iraqi who is considered the new supreme leader of ISIS.
“This terrorist’s connections in Syria and Istanbul have been investigated for a long time, and the intelligence agencies have received information that he will enter Turkey illegally,” Erdogan said.
“Detained during an MIT security operation. [serviço secreto turco] and the Istanbul police,” the Turkish president added, without specifying the date of detention.
ISIS was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and Syria two years later, but the group’s sleeper cells are still carrying out attacks in both countries.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
