Turkey Detains 11 Is Members Near Syrian Border

Eleven foreign nationals suspected of planning to join the Islamic State (IS) have been captured by police in Turkey's southern province of Kilis.

The Kilis Govenor's Office said in a written statement that 11 foreign nationals were detained in the Çıldıroba village in the province's Elbeyli district on Nov. 29 as they attempted to illegally cross into Syria to join IS.

"On Nov. 29, 2015, 11 people of non-Turkish origin who were suspected of being Daesh (IS) members were captured by security forces in Çıldıroba in the Elbeyli district of our province. Legal and administrative investigations have been launched against the captured suspects" the governor's office said, using an Arabic acronym to refer to IS.

Turkey has stepped up counterterrorism activities against IS after militants from the group were implicated in both the deadly Suruç bombing in July and the twin Ankara suicide blasts in October.

The perpetrator of the suicide bombing attack in Suruç, a district in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, was identified to be an IS militant, who detonated himself and left dozens of civilians dead and more than 100 injured on July 20.

The suicide bomber of the Ankara attacks was also identified to be an IS militant, who killed more than 100 and left hundreds more wounded outside a train station in the Turkish capital on Oct. 10. The attack in Ankara was the deadliest act of terrorism in Turkey's history.

(Photo) - Kilis