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Turkish intelligence and security forces conducted a cross-border operation in Syria that resulted in the deaths of eight suspected Daesh members accused of killing a 65-year-old shuttle driver from Ankara, officials announced on Sunday.
The Interior Ministry said the suspects, who had fled to Syria's Idlib-Atme region after murdering Binali Aslan and stealing his vehicle, were tracked down through coordinated intelligence work between Turkish and Syrian authorities.
"The suspects who rented our citizen Binali Aslan's vehicle and later killed our citizen were determined to be staying at an address in Syria's Idlib-Atme region," the Interior Ministry statement said. "In the clashes that broke out during the operation, 8 of the suspects were killed, 2 were wounded, and 4 were captured alive."
Aslan, who operated a minibus service at Ankara's intercity bus terminal, disappeared on September 21 after leaving home for work. Security footage showed two individuals approaching him at the terminal and requesting transportation to Golbasi district. After taking the passengers into his vehicle, Aslan vanished without a trace.
His family reported him missing to police and gendarmerie forces, prompting an extensive search operation. Investigators determined that Aslan's vehicle had been driven toward Hatay province by unidentified individuals.
The driver's body was discovered buried in a forested area in Mersin's Tarsus district following intensive search efforts by local security forces. An autopsy was conducted at the Mersin Forensic Medicine Institute before his remains were transported to Ankara for burial at Karsiyaka Cemetery.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya revealed that a 14-member family with Daesh sympathies had been identified as responsible for the crime. The group fled to Syria after the murder, but Turkish intelligence agencies tracked their movements through coordinated work between the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), police intelligence units, and anti-terrorism departments.
"As a result of work conducted in coordination with MIT, General Directorate of Security Intelligence Department, and Anti-Terror Department, it was determined that the suspects were staying at an address in Syria's Idlib-Atme region," Yerlikaya said.
The operation was carried out in coordination with Syria's Internal Security Service. When the suspects responded to surrender calls with gunfire, a firefight ensued that left eight dead and six others either wounded or captured alive.
Turkish authorities also arrested two individuals, identified as M.A. and N.S., who had provided accommodation to the family in Ankara before the incident. The suspects were detained by Ankara police and subsequently remanded in custody by a court.
The case highlights ongoing security concerns related to Daesh remnants operating along the Turkish-Syrian border and Türkiye's continued efforts to pursue suspected terrorists who flee across international boundaries.
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