Turkey arrests suspected Istanbul church attack planner linked to Islamic State

Istanbul, Sep 15 (IANS) Turkish Police have apprehended a suspect believed to have orchestrated a January attack on a church in Istanbul, local media reported.

The Ihlas News Agency said on Saturday that the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and the General Directorate of Security conducted a joint operation in Istanbul to capture Viskhan Soltamatov, a suspected member of the Islamic State (IS).

According to the agency, Soltamatov was involved in planning the assault on the Santa Maria Italian Church and was responsible for supplying the weapon used.

The attack, which occurred on January 28 during prayer in the Sariyer district, resulted in the death of a Turkish citizen, Xinhua news agency reported.

Intelligence and risk analyses by MIT revealed that Soltamatov was operating in Turkey under the IS -- Khorasan Province, an IS affiliate based in Afghanistan. His nationality remains unclear.

Turkish Police had previously arrested 31 suspects linked to the attack, and the investigation continues.

One Turkish citizen was killed by two IS gunmen at the Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul in January 2024.

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had previously charged 42 suspects, including Tajik national Amirjon Kholiqov and Russian citizen David Tanduev, with planning the attack. However, initial indictments were returned due to procedural deficiencies. The prosecution has appealed the decision, urging the court to approve the charges after addressing the procedural issues.

Turkey has designated IS as a terrorist group since 2013, and the organisation has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks in the country, prompting frequent operations against its members.

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