Turkish police detain more ISIS suspects

ISTANBUL: Turkish police on Saturday detained seven foreign nationals in southern Turkey on suspicion of planning to head to Syria to join Islamic State fighters, state media said. The detentions were part of a series of police operations against suspected members of IS across Turkey, which is on high alert ahead of a G20 summit of world leaders on November 15-16. Anti-terror police launched a dawn raid at a hotel in the southern Adana province and detained the suspects, a French couple of Tunisian origin and five Indonesians, Anatolia news agency said. They are scheduled to be deported today along with two children, one of whom is disabled, Anatolia added. Turkey is imposing tight security ahead of the Group of 20 summit in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya which will bring together a host of leaders including US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Turkish police yesterday carried out simultaneous raids in Antalya, detaining 20 people suspected of links to IS, including two Russian nationals and two women. Police yesterday also detained 44 Moroccans and their Syrian guides at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport on suspicion they were planning to head to Syria. Turkey has stepped up operations against IS since the group was blamed for twin bombings on a peace rally in Ankara last month that killed 102 people, the worst such attack in its history. -TOI