Suspect In Paris Attacks Detained In Southern Turkey

The arrests come after Turkey vowed earlier this month to “act militarily” against Islamic State, following October’s bombings in Ankara that left 102 people dead. Dogan reported that Dahmani is suspected to have explored areas in Paris a week before the attacks. It states they have been detained on suspicion of “aiding and abetting” the Islamic State group. The three were preparing to cross the Turkish-Syrian border.

According to Turkey’s Dogan news agency, the suspected Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) operative is believed to have scouted out targets for the Paris attacks.

Officials could not immediately be reached for confirmation.

The Belgian, identified as Ahmet Dahmani was seized at a hotel while suspects Ahmet Tahir, 29, and Muhammed Verd, 23, were arrested in a vehicle on the D-400 highway that crosses southern Turkey.

The three suspected Islamic militants will remain in custody following a court appearance.

Dahmani had reportedly been under surveillance since he flew on an airline to the seaside resort of Antalya – the same town that, just last weekend, hosted President Obama and other world leaders at the G-20 summit.

But the group, which holds territory adjacent to the Turkish border in Syria, is trying to recruit more.

However the authorities have been making conscious efforts in recent weeks to tighten Turkey’s borders, making nearly daily arrests of extremists seeking to join IS.

Belgian authorities had not warned Turkey about Dahmani, and so he wasn’t on the list of 26,600 names prohibited entry into Turkey.

Further information could not be given because it could impede the capture of other potential suspects, a police official, who also confirmed the arrest, said.

“Had the Belgian authorities alerted us in due time, Dahmani could have been apprehended at the airport”, the official said.