Turkey on Thursday detained 13 suspected Islamic State jihadists over the deadly Istanbul airport attack, as officials said the three bombers were from Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and gave chilling details of how they launched their assault. The reports showed that the attackers rented the flat three months ago by making a cash payment.
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The report did not reveal their nationalities. Investigative authorities are still trying to obtain the names of the three terrorists after it appears that ISIS was responsible for the attack on Istanbul’s main airport.
“He’s … probably the No. 1 enemy in the Northern Caucasus region of Russian Federation”. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the two Boston Marathon bombers, traveled to Dagestan shortly before executing the attack. After an officer stopped one on suspicion because he was wearing a heavy jacket despite it being a warm summer night and a gunfight ensued, the other two were able to enter the terminals in the panic and confusion. Dozens from the 230 people initially reported wounded are still hospitalized. He was added to the USA list of global terrorists in 2015 and is wanted by the Russian government. It also cites a United Nations report claiming that Chatayev “directly commands 130 militants” and was designated one of a number of “mastermind” terror planners.
Turkish security forces are on the hunt, looking for people who may be connected who may be connected to the Turkish airport attackers.
Turkish media identified the strike’s organiser as Akhmed Chatayev, the Chechen leader of an IS cell in Istanbul who reportedly found accommodation for the bombers.
Turkish and Swedish media also have identified Chatayev as the organizer.
Turkish officials did not confirm to Reuters that Chatayev was part of the investigation.
It’s estimated that several thousand fighters from Russian Federation and former Soviet republics have joined ISIS. Turkeytightened security on the border but has argued it needs more information from foreign intelligence agencies to intercept fighters.
Russians deployed brutal tactics in Chechnya, which radicalized the insurgents and moved them in an Islamist and militant direction, Bergen said.
“Ask anybody inside ISIS or who’s fought ISIS”.
Chatayev’s alleged connection may not be a surprise.
The office of Istanbul’s governor said 52 people are still in hospital and that 20 of them are being treated in the intensive care unit.
CCTV of a man believed to be one of the attackers at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport.
Turkish police visited the Fatih area and showed neighbors video and photographs of three men they say are believed to have carried out the attack, residents said. A spokesman for Kyrgyzstan’s state security service said it was investigating, while the Uzbek security service had no immediate comment.
ISIS has established a self-declared caliphate on swathes of both Syria and Iraq and declared war on all non-Muslims plus Muslims who do not accept its ultra-hardline vision of Sunni Islam.
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A third militant detonated his explosives at the entrance. “So in a sense, the ultimate Kamikaze warrior”, Weiss said.
