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Turkey Arrests 2 Suspected of New Year's Bomb Plot


A woman walks past by a store selling New Year and Christmas ornaments in Istanbul, Turkey, Dec. 22, 2015. Turkey on Wednesday detained two suspected Islamic State members believed to be planning suicide attacks on New Year's celebrations in the country's capital.
A woman walks past by a store selling New Year and Christmas ornaments in Istanbul, Turkey, Dec. 22, 2015. Turkey on Wednesday detained two suspected Islamic State members believed to be planning suicide attacks on New Year's celebrations in the country's capital.

Turkey on Wednesday detained two suspected Islamic State members believed to be planning suicide attacks on New Year's celebrations in the country's capital.

Turkish officials said the suspects were arrested in the Ankara area. The alleged plot involved suicide bombings in central Ankara where crowds gather to celebrate the start of the new year.

Turkey has been on alert for attacks since an October double suicide bombing killed more than 100 people at a gathering of peace activists outside a train station in Ankara.

The capital is far from the Syrian border, but Islamic State controls some territory in border areas on the Syrian side and has been able to move fighters and supplies between the two countries.

Turkey's government has increased its operations to counter possible attacks in recent months, including numerous anti-terror raids, arrests and joining the group of countries conducting airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria as part of the U.S.-led coalition.

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