Attack on Istanbul airport was ordered by Daesh leader Baghdadi

22:04, 2 July 2016

ISTANBUL. KAZINFORM - According to information obtained by Sputnik from sources in the Turkish security forces, Turkey is now seen by Daesh as an easy target for their attacks. 19 of the 44 victims of the recent terrorist attack in Istanbul were foreigners - a fact considered by many as a terrorist plan to target foreign nationals amid tightened security in Europe, Sputniknews.com reports.

The attack on the Istanbul airport was ordered by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Turkish security experts believe that the decision to attack the Istanbul airport was made by Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and that Osman Vadinov, a Chechen who joined Daesh two years ago, was ordered to organize the attack.

Foreign militants were chosen to avoid surveillance

Two months ahead of the Istanbul attack Omar Vadinov reportedly crossed the Turkish border and visited the Kemal Ataturk airport several times to plan the attack.

According to the news agency DHA, the terrorist attack on the airport that left 44 people dead and over 200 injured, was carried out by three suicide bombers from Uzbekistan, Chechnya (Russia) and Kirgizia. The terrorist from Dagestan reportedly arrived in Turkey about a month ago.

Sputnik has learned that after a series of operations by Turkish security forces, Daesh, which had earlier used Turkish nationals in its terror attacks in Ankara, Diyarbakir, Suruc and Gaziantep, started using foreigners who were either unknown to or were not being watched by Turkish intelligence.

Turkish police shadowed Daesh militants but did not interfere

In an interview with Radio Sputnik Mahmut Toğrul, a parliamentary deputy from the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party, said that the Turkısh authorities were lagging behind in the fight against Daesh which now has a base in the country's western Gaziantep province.

"We kept warning [the authorities] that their failure to secure the Djerablus-Aazaz line and sever the terrorists' links to the outside world was fraught with big problems," Mahmut Toğrul said.

"According to official information, the Turkish security agencies have been watching Daesh terrorists' every step since 2012 but have never interfered.

They also listened to all of their communications, for example the Daesh commander overseeing the jihadists' cross-border movements, but did nothing to prevent this happening", he added.

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photo: sputniknews.com/

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