 has captured Ahmet Baykara, a member of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization who is accused of responsibility for several attacks on Turkish military bases in Syria, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Tuesday, citing security sources.){kind=link}
Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has captured Ahmet Baykara, a member of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization who is accused of responsibility for several attacks on Turkish military bases in Syria, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Tuesday, citing security sources.
MİT brought Baykara, who had been involved in planning and executing attacks on the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in Syria’s Idlib region, to Turkey after he was captured in an unspecified African country, Anadolu said.
Involved with al-Qaeda and various other groups in Syria between 2014 and 2019, Baykara carried out numerous activities on behalf of the terrorist group in Turkey and Syria. He reportedly organized five attacks targeting local police stations in Syria and carried out three bombings in the city of Taqa. He also planned attacks on sensitive locations in Turkey.
He fled to Africa after realizing Turkish authorities were tracking him.
During his interrogation, Baykara admitted to his involvement in several cross-border attacks on Turkish military forces and revealed further details about planned operations in Turkey as well as the identities of individuals he collaborated with, Anadolu said.
Anadolu released a handout photo of Baykara in handcuffs in an undisclosed location, flanked by Turkish flags.
Since 2016 Ankara has carried out successive ground operations to expel Kurdish forces from border areas of northern Syria, along with Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters.
Dozens of Turkish soldiers have been killed during clashes in Syria.
Pro-Turkish forces in Syria now control two vast strips of territory along the border.