Turkish security forces announced the arrest of (Viskhan Soltamatiyev) one of the planners of the attack on the Italian “Santa Maria” Church in Istanbul on January 28.

Turkish security sources stated in a media circular today that the Turkish intelligence and the General Security Directorate carried out a joint operation against the terrorist organization “ISIS” during which they were able to arrest Viskhan Soltamatiyev in Istanbul, who is one of the elements linked to the “Khorasan Province” organization affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS in Afghanistan to carry out activities against Turkey.

Security sources indicated that Soltamatiyev is one of the planners of the attack on the Italian “Santa Maria” Church in Istanbul on January 28.

On January 28, 2024, Turkish Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya announced the killing of a person after being attacked by two masked men while attending a mass at the Santa Maria Church in Istanbul.

At the time, the Turkish security authorities pointed the finger
of blame for the attack on the church at the terrorist organization ISIS and launched a campaign of raids during which they arrested 51 suspects, most of whom were Tajiks and Russians, including three Turks. They published pictures of the two perpetrators of the attack, the Tajik “A.K.” and the Russian “D.T.” after carrying out the attack on the church and escaped. The Turkish security authorities indicated through the investigations they conducted with the suspects after the attack on the church and the terrorist organization’s admission of responsibility for the attack that ISIS was planning to launch attacks on churches and places of worship in Istanbul and the Iraqi embassy in Ankara.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency