IS commander ‘responsible for’ killing 700 civilians caught in Turkey’s west

Alongside the militant, identified only as K.E.H., three more IS commanders were apprehended and all four of the detained are of Syrian origin, Doğan News Agency reported.

Upon receiving intelligence on K.E.H. being in İzmir, the province’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered police’s Intelligence and Anti-Terrorism Bureau to carry out an operation in coordination with the MİT.

K.E.H., who is the so-called emir of the jihadist group responsible for IS activities in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor and surrounding areas, is accused of being among the perpetrators of killing 700 civilians in the Shaidat region on Dec. 14, 2017.

The militant is also believed to be one of the closest aides of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his potential successor.

Moreover, the militant is determined to be one of the relatives of IS militant Saddam al-Jamal, who is known for his execution videos, the agency also said.

The other three apprehended militants, identified only by the initials as M.M., M.E.Z. and Ö.M., meanwhile, were determined to be IS jihadists who fled Syria after the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) launched military operations in the country.

The suspects were taken to police headquarters for questioning.

700 sivilin ölümünden sorumlu IŞİD'li komutan İzmir'de yakalandı