LONDON: Britain's Sky News quoted intelligence sources on
Monday as saying that Islamic State had "advanced plans" to kill Jewish
children in Turkey by attacking kindergartens, schools and youth
centres.
Sky Foreign Affairs Editor Sam Kiley said the information on
the "imminent" threat came from six operatives arrested over the past
week in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep.
It was not clear which country's intelligence service had
provided the information to the British news network. Reuters could not
verify the report and Turkish officials were not immediately reachable
for comment.
"In light of these circumstances, extraordinary security
measures are being taken above and beyond the high alert level already
in place by the Turkish police, as well as vigilance within the Jewish
community," Sky quoted an intelligence source as saying on its website.
"Undercover and other covert counter-terror measures are
being implemented around the clock. This is a more than credible threat.
This is an active plot," the source was quoted as saying.
More than 80 people have been killed in a series of suicide
attacks this year in Turkey, a NATO ally of the United States. The
latest attack, blamed on Islamic State, killed three Israeli tourists
and an Iranian in Istanbul on March 19. The group has also claimed
responsibility for suicide blasts that killed 35 people last week in
Belgium.
In an upgraded travel advisory on Monday, Israel urged its
citizens visiting Turkey to leave "as soon as possible", predicting
possible follow-up attacks.
Sky said the most likely target of an attack was a synagogue
in Istanbul's Beyoglu district which has a community centre and a
school attached to it.
(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Gareth Jones)
- Reuters
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