Turkish authorities have arrested a key suspect linked to the Islamic State group, believed to be involved in a deadly attack on the Santa Maria Italian Church in Istanbul earlier this year, the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) announced on Saturday. The suspect, Viskhan Soltamatov, was apprehended during a joint operation between MIT and local police in Istanbul.
Soltamatov is suspected of planning the attack, which occurred on January 28, 2024, and claimed the life of a Turkish citizen. According to MIT, he also supplied the weapon used in the assault. Two gunmen with ties to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-KP), a faction of the group based in Afghanistan, carried out the attack.
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This latest arrest follows a wider crackdown in April, when Turkish authorities detained 48 individuals believed to be connected to the church attack. IS-KP’s involvement has drawn further attention to the group’s activities outside its primary stronghold in Afghanistan.
The Santa Maria Church attack marked one of the more significant terror incidents in Turkey this year, underscoring the ongoing threat posed by Islamic State-linked fighters in the region.