ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish intelligence agents have captured a senior member of the Islamic State group in an area along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, allegedly thwarting planned suicide attacks in Turkey and elsewhere, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported Monday.
Anadolu Agency said the suspect was identified as Mehmet Goren and a member of the group’s Afghanistan-based Islamic State-Khorasan branch. He was caught in a covert operation and transferred to Turkey.
It was not clear when the operation took place or whether Afghan and Pakistani authorities were involved.
The report said the Turkish citizen allegedly rose within the organization’s ranks and was given the task of carrying out suicide bombings in Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Europe.
IS has carried out deadly attacks in Turkey, including a shooting at an Istanbul night club on Jan. 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.
Monday’s report said Goren’s capture allegedly also exposed the group’s recruitment methods and provided intelligence on its planned activities.
