A citizen of Tajikistan and a citizen of Kyrgyzstan were detained in the Turkish city of Istanbul on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State terrorist organization. IHA media outlet reported.
According to it, Turkish counterintelligence, based on the results of surveillance of an IS cell, decided to conduct an operation to detain 37-year-old citizen of the Republic of Tajikistan Fashchyljon A. and 41-year-old native of the Kyrgyz Republic Zulfiya S. in Pendik district of Istanbul. During a search in the basement of the house where they lived, a gendarmerie uniform, a police bulletproof vest, a walkie-talkie, other items, as well as instructions for carrying out a terrorist attack were seized. During interrogation, the detainees admitted to preparing an act of violence; place and date of the attack are not specified.
By decision of the prosecutor’s office, the citizen of Tajikistan was placed under arrest, and his accomplice was expelled from Turkey.
Turkish security forces carry out operations against IS almost daily. On the day of local elections, which took place on March 31, the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the detention of 51 people on suspicion of links with the Islamic State, including in Istanbul.
