Türkiye, Pakistan intelligence agencies capture high-profile Daesh terrorist PHOTO

In a joint intelligence operation, Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) captured Özgür Altun, a high-ranking Daesh terrorist and one of Türkiye’s most wanted suspects, on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, security sources reported on June 1.

Altun, a Turkish national also known by the alias "Abu Yasir Al Turki," was once described in Daesh-linked publications as the group’s “media spokesperson.” He was listed in the “orange” category of the Interior Ministry’s most wanted terrorists, Caliber.Az reports, citing Daily Sabah.

The arrest marks the first high-profile and public instance of cooperation between MIT and ISI. The two countries recently reaffirmed their commitment to stronger ties during a trilateral summit held in Azerbaijan in May.

Security sources stated that Altun was captured by Pakistani intelligence and handed over to MIT. Intelligence work had identified a Turkish-origin suspect involved in organising the transit of Daesh recruits from Europe and Central Asia into Afghanistan and Pakistan. Further investigation revealed Altun as the highest-ranking Daesh member of Turkish origin in the group’s “media and logistics” branch and responsible for planning attacks targeting Türkiye and crowded venues in Europe, including concert halls.

Altun was reportedly in charge of the Turkish-language media arm of Daesh’s so-called Khorasan Province (Daesh-K), distributing propaganda and overseeing recruitment efforts. MIT uncovered that Altun had illegally traveled from Türkiye to Afghanistan and was planning to cross into Pakistan. Upon alerting ISI, Pakistani intelligence offered full support, stating, “Türkiye’s enemy was also Pakistan’s enemy,” according to sources.

ISI launched a coordinated operation with MIT, leading to Altun’s arrest on the border. He was deported to Türkiye, where he confessed to his involvement in Daesh operations. According to security sources, Altun admitted to managing Turkish and English propaganda publications, recruiting individuals from Türkiye for Daesh activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and encouraging lone-wolf attacks worldwide.

Since the fall of Daesh’s self-proclaimed “caliphate” in 2019, some of its suspected members have relocated to Türkiye, where they have attempted to establish networks under the Daesh-K banner. These cells are reportedly searching for new methods and recruiting more foreign nationals amid increased counterterrorism pressure.

MIT has continued to disrupt Daesh’s activities, including recruitment, financing, and logistical operations. The latest efforts come in the wake of a terrorist attack on a church in Istanbul in January 2024.

Daesh remains the second most significant terrorist threat to Türkiye, which faces a broad spectrum of security challenges. Türkiye was one of the first countries to officially designate Daesh as a terrorist organisation in 2013.

By Sabina Mammadli