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Turkey captures Islamic State mastermind behind attacks in Russia, Germany
- Ankara’s interior minister revealed Yusuf Huba allegedly planned and ordered an attack at a supermarket in Hamburg
- He said the suspect is being held and questioned in Syria
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Turkey’s interior minister has identified a key Islamic State (Isis) suspect captured by the country’s forces in Syria as the alleged mastermind behind attacks in Russia and Germany, according to a newspaper report on Friday.
Turkey had announced last week that it detained an “important” Isis figure but did not name him. In an interview published in Hurriyet newspaper, Suleyman Soylu identified the man as Yusuf Huba, describing him as a high-ranking Isis member. Soylu said the man allegedly planned and ordered a bomb attack in Russia in 2018 as well as an attack at a supermarket in Germany.
Turkey has been highlighting what it says is its fight against Isis, in the face of accusations that the Turkish military offensive last month to drive Syrian Kurdish fighters from northeast Syria would allow for a resurgence of the militant group.
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The interior minister said the suspect is also known as Abu Jihad al-Din al-Nasır Ubeyde and is being held and questioned in Syria, in an area controlled by Turkey.
“We have captured a very senior Isis member who is known as a bomber, bomb-maker and mastermind of suicide bomb attacks,” he told Hurriyet.
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