Report: ISIL Attempt To Kidnap Syrian Rebel Leader In Turkey Foiled

British daily The Telegraph has reported that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) failed in an attempt to kidnap a top Syrian rebel commander inside Turkey, suggesting, according to the newspaper, that the extremist group is able to operate in the country with relative impunity.

In the report titled “Islamic State [ISIL] foiled in attempt to kidnap Syrian rebel leader in Turkey,” published on Sunday, the daily claimed that Abu Issa, the leader of Thuwar Raqqa, a Syrian rebel group that has been fighting ISIL in the town of Kobani, was ambushed by ISIL extremists in the province of Urfa in Turkey.

The daily said the attempt to kidnap Issa, who was shot and wounded, raised questions about Ankara's readiness to stop jihadists operating on its soil.

Turkey has been on the receiving end of harsh criticism, particularly from the Western world, for turning a blind eye to the foreign fighters crossing into Syria using its territory.

“But the flagrant kidnapping attempt in the southeastern town of Urfa, shows how [ISIL] can still operate inside this [NATO] country with relative impunity,” the daily's report said.

The report highlighted statements of Ahmed Abdul Khader, a spokesman for Thuwar Raqqa, who said ISIL cars blocked the road in front of Issa and his son and grabbed them from their vehicle at around 6:30 p.m.

According to the report, Issa recognized the kidnappers, who had not covered their faces, as ISIL members.

Noting that the death of the Syrian rebel leader would have been a massive blow to Thuwar Raqqa, the report claimed that members of the group were selected to be trained in Turkey as part of the renewed US-led push to defeat ISIL in Syria.

The daily said although Khader reported ISIL members in Turkey to Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MİT) several times, the organization did not arrest them.

US President Barack Obama's administration is working on forming a strong coalition against the ISIL threat in the region. Addressing top military leaders from more than 20 countries last week, Obama said approximately 60 countries have committed to joining the campaign against the terrorist organization.

Turkey has been reluctant to join the coalition and has called for the establishment of a safe zone and a no-fly zone inside Syria. In addition, Turkey insists on the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying the Assad regime is first and foremost responsible for creating an atmosphere that is fertile for radical groups such as ISIL to emerge.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)