Turkey arrests Egyptian family of 12 on way to join IS in Syria

Egypt said Monday that Turkish authorities arrested an Egyptian family of 12 that was trying to cross into Syria to join the Islamic State group (IS).

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s Monday statement said the family was arrested in the southern Turkish city of Adana, near the country’s border with war-devastated Syria. The family includes three children.

The ministry also stated that it demanded to know the details of the case and the nature of the charges pressed against the family.

Exploiting the civil unrest in Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State group seized large swaths of land in both countries and declared a “caliphate” in summer 2014. The group has attracted followers and fighters from all over the world.

Monday’s statement does not say how Turkey knew the 12 wanted to join IS.

Source: The Associated Press