Monday night’s terrorist attack in southeastern Turkey, in which 31 people were killed and around 100 injured, may be the first of a series of seven.
The Turkish government is pointing toward the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) for the attack in Suruc, and if it was carried out by the terrorist group this would be their first suicide bombing in Turkey. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
As reported by Turkish news organization Hurriyet Daily News, the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) of Turkey repeatedly warned national security services about seven ISIL militants — four men and three women — who crossed the southern border with Syria.
On June 22 and July 3 MIT warned authorities about the seven individuals, provided their names, and stated that there existed an extremely high risk of terrorist attack, after which notice police began counter-ISIL operations in Istanbul, Ankara, Sanliurfa, Konya and Izmir, during which they detained nearly 100 people, but this did not lead to the arrest of any of the seven.
The 18-year-old female bomber responsible for the Suruc attack is suspected to be one of this group.
By James Haleavy