Citizens of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan who were preparing a terrorist attack detained in Istanbul

A man, citizen of Tajikistan, and a woman, citizen of Kyrgyzstan, were detained in Istanbul on suspicion of preparing for a terrorist attack on behalf of supporters of the Islamic State (IS). This was reported by Hürriyet newspaper.

According to the Turkish newspaper, 37-year-old citizen of Tajikistan Faziljon A. was an ISIS member and used the nickname “Abu Ismail”; he was to become the main perpetrator of the attack. A 41-year-old Kyrgyz woman Zulfiya S. supported him as an accomplice.

Hürriyet writes that during a counter-terrorism operation, Turkish police detained suspects in an apartment in the Pendik district. During a search of the house of the detainees, a gendarmerie uniform, a police vest, a cap, a walkie-talkie, a gun holster and a knife, as well as electronic materials with instructions were found. Law enforcement agencies suggested that the criminals could have planned to use the police uniforms to escape.

The publication does not specify where exactly and who the detainees were planning to attack. The investigation is also looking into which members of the ISIS group the suspects were associated with.

After the interrogation, Faziljon A. was arrested, and Zulfiya S. was deported from Turkey, the newspaper mentions.