Three Islamic State-linked women, who were planning to launch a jihadist attack&nbsp;in France, were arrested on Thursday, French authorities said on Friday. 
 
The suspects were arrested after French police found a car laden with gas cylinders. 
 
A half-lit cigarette&nbsp;and a flammable material&nbsp;found in the boot of the car were used to launch the cylinder attack, investigators said. Fortunately, the women were unable to blow up the car. 
 
&quot;A terrorist cell made up of young women totally receptive to the deadly ideology of Daesh (IS) has been dismantled,&quot; France&#39;s anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins said a press conference.&nbsp; 
 
France is on high alert after security services received warnings about a potential attack in railway stations. 
 
The incarcerated women were hiding in an apartment in&nbsp;the&nbsp;Paris&nbsp;suburb of Boussy-Saint-Antoine. 
 
One policeman was stabbed during the Thursday night operation. 
 
Prosecutors have also found&nbsp;links between one of the arrested women and IS. 
 
Nineteen-year-old Ines Madani, suspected to lead the radical group, was the fiancee of&nbsp;Larossi Abballa. Madani had also individually pledged her allegiance to the IS, prosecutors said. 
 
In June, 25-year-old&nbsp;Abbala had murdered policeman&nbsp;Jean-Baptiste S and his partner in Magnanville, a&nbsp;Paris suburb. 
 
Madani was then engaged to another IS jihadist&nbsp;Adel Kermiche who&nbsp;killed priest Jacques Hamel in July.&nbsp; 
 
The other two women have been idenified as 23-year-old&nbsp;Sarah H&nbsp;and Amel S, who is 39 years of age. Amel&#39;s daughter has also been taken to police custody. 
 
Sarah was the woman who stabbed the policeman in the Thursday swoop. 
 
The developments also demonstrated IS&#39;s willingness to use women to launch fatal attacks in France. 
 
(AFP)

Three radicalised women were 'determined' on launching an attack in the city, French investigators said

Three Islamic State-linked women, who were planning to launch a jihadist attack in France, were arrested on Thursday, French authorities said on Friday. The suspects were arrested after French police found a car laden with gas cylinders. A half-lit cigarette and a flammable material found in the boot of the car were used to launch the cylinder attack, investigators said. Fortunately, the women were unable to blow up the car. "A terrorist cell made up of young women totally receptive to the deadly ideology of Daesh (IS) has been dismantled," France's anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins said a press conference. France is on high alert after security services received warnings about a potential attack in railway stations. The incarcerated women were hiding in an apartment in the Paris suburb of Boussy-Saint-Antoine. One policeman was stabbed during the Thursday night operation. Prosecutors have also found links between one of the arrested women and IS. Nineteen-year-old Ines Madani, suspected to lead the radical group, was the fiancee of Larossi Abballa. Madani had also individually pledged her allegiance to the IS, prosecutors said. In June, 25-year-old Abbala had murdered policeman Jean-Baptiste S and his partner in Magnanville, a Paris suburb. Madani was then engaged to another IS jihadist Adel Kermiche who killed priest Jacques Hamel in July. The other two women have been idenified as 23-year-old Sarah H and Amel S, who is 39 years of age. Amel's daughter has also been taken to police custody. Sarah was the woman who stabbed the policeman in the Thursday swoop. The developments also demonstrated IS's willingness to use women to launch fatal attacks in France. (AFP)

France foils IS-directed gas cylinder explosion in Paris

Singapore called for heightened vigilance on Saturday, a day after Indonesian police arrested a group of men they believed were plotting a rocket attack on the wealthy city-state with the help of a Syrian-based Islamic State militant. 
 
The six suspected militants were rounded up on Friday in dawn raids on Batam island, which is about 15 kilometres (10 miles) south of Singapore, and local police chief Sam Budigusdian said they were still being held there while investigations continued. 
 
Singapore&#39;s home affairs minister, K Shanmugam, said the men had plans to hit Marina Bay, the state&#39;s glittering downtown waterfront, where night-time Formula One Grand Prix Races are held alongside a giant Ferris wheel and a swanky casino resort. 
 
&quot;This shows how our enemies are thinking of different ways of attacking us,&quot; Shanmugam said in a Facebook posting. 
 
&quot;Terrorists...will seek to come in through our checkpoints; they will also try to launch attacks from just outside. And this is in addition to lone wolf attacks from radicalised individuals/groups. We have to be extra vigilant.&quot; 
 
Batam is linked to Singapore by frequent ferries and its beach resorts and golf courses are a popular weekend getaway destination for Singaporeans, who are preparing to celebrate their National Day holiday on Tuesday. 
 
 
Singapore: target for Islamic State 
 
Multi-ethnic Singapore, a major commercial, banking and travel hub that is home to many Western expatriates, has never seen a successful attack by Islamist militants.&nbsp;However, authorities did break up a plot to bomb several embassies soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, and a Singaporean militant was accused of plotting to crash a hijacked plane into the city&#39;s airport in 2002. 
 
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said this week Singapore was a target for Islamic State because it is &quot;a rational, open, cosmopolitan country&quot;, even though it is not involved in the US-led campaign against the group in the Middle East. 
 
The six arrested on Batam, mostly factory workers, according to local media, were suspected of having links to Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian now fighting with Islamic State in Syria. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s a link to Bahrun Naim because there was communication with Bahrun Naim, but whether they were affiliated with Bahrun Naim&#39;s group or not, this is what we&#39;re investigating now,&quot; police spokesman Agus Rianto said.&nbsp;Indonesian investigators believe that Naim was one of the masterminds behind an attack in January in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, in which eight people were killed, including the four attackers. 
 
In a blog post after the coordinated shootings and suicide bombings across Paris last November, Naim urged his Indonesian audience to study the planning, targeting, timing and courage of the jihadis who killed 130 people in the French capital. 
 
 
Turning Point 
 
Asked on Friday if physical evidence of preparations for a rocket attack had been discovered, Rianto said &quot;not yet&quot;.&nbsp;Some security analysts were doubtful that a rocket attack on Singapore from Batam was feasible, but Tim Ripley of Jane&#39;s Defence Weekly said it was possible. 
 
&quot;They would be the long-range variants of the Grad rocket, originally from Russia but copied in China, Iran, Pakistan and several other countries,&quot; Ripley said. &quot;Very simple to use but very inaccurate at the ranges for this attack. The damage would depend on where they hit but the potential for casualties would be high.&quot; 
 
If the plan for a rocket launch on Singapore is confirmed, it would suggest that militants in Southeast Asia are preparing far more sophisticated attacks than those of recent months.&nbsp;Indonesia, home to the world&#39;s largest Muslim population, has itself seen attacks by Islamist militants before. The bombing of two nightclubs on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people was among a spate of attacks during the 2000s. 
 
Police were largely successful in destroying domestic militant cells after that, but they now worry the influence of Islamic State will bring a resurgence of jihadi violence.&nbsp;Authorities in Indonesia and neighbouring Malaysia say dozens of men have gone from those countries to join Islamic State&#39;s fight in the Middle East. 
 
Security officials fear that Naim and other Islamic State leaders are now asking supporters in Southeast Asia to launch attacks at home.&nbsp;However, Jakarta-based security analyst Sidney Jones said it would be a departure for Naim and his supporters if they were thinking of attacking targets outside Indonesia. 
 
&quot;One thing I think is clear is Bahrun Naim has been able to establish a lot of communication with a lot of people through his social media network,&quot; Jones said. 
 
(Reuters)

Rocket attack planned on downtown waterfront, where night-time Formula One races are held next to a Ferris wheel and swanky casino: Minister

Singapore called for heightened vigilance on Saturday, a day after Indonesian police arrested a group of men they believed were plotting a rocket attack on the wealthy city-state with the help of a Syrian-based Islamic State militant. The six suspected militants were rounded up on Friday in dawn raids on Batam island, which is about 15 kilometres (10 miles) south of Singapore, and local police chief Sam Budigusdian said they were still being held there while investigations continued. Singapore's home affairs minister, K Shanmugam, said the men had plans to hit Marina Bay, the state's glittering downtown waterfront, where night-time Formula One Grand Prix Races are held alongside a giant Ferris wheel and a swanky casino resort. "This shows how our enemies are thinking of different ways of attacking us," Shanmugam said in a Facebook posting. "Terrorists...will seek to come in through our checkpoints; they will also try to launch attacks from just outside. And this is in addition to lone wolf attacks from radicalised individuals/groups. We have to be extra vigilant." Batam is linked to Singapore by frequent ferries and its beach resorts and golf courses are a popular weekend getaway destination for Singaporeans, who are preparing to celebrate their National Day holiday on Tuesday. Singapore: target for Islamic State Multi-ethnic Singapore, a major commercial, banking and travel hub that is home to many Western expatriates, has never seen a successful attack by Islamist militants. However, authorities did break up a plot to bomb several embassies soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, and a Singaporean militant was accused of plotting to crash a hijacked plane into the city's airport in 2002. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said this week Singapore was a target for Islamic State because it is "a rational, open, cosmopolitan country", even though it is not involved in the US-led campaign against the group in the Middle East. The six arrested on Batam, mostly factory workers, according to local media, were suspected of having links to Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian now fighting with Islamic State in Syria. "There's a link to Bahrun Naim because there was communication with Bahrun Naim, but whether they were affiliated with Bahrun Naim's group or not, this is what we're investigating now," police spokesman Agus Rianto said. Indonesian investigators believe that Naim was one of the masterminds behind an attack in January in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, in which eight people were killed, including the four attackers. In a blog post after the coordinated shootings and suicide bombings across Paris last November, Naim urged his Indonesian audience to study the planning, targeting, timing and courage of the jihadis who killed 130 people in the French capital. Turning Point Asked on Friday if physical evidence of preparations for a rocket attack had been discovered, Rianto said "not yet". Some security analysts were doubtful that a rocket attack on Singapore from Batam was feasible, but Tim Ripley of Jane's Defence Weekly said it was possible. "They would be the long-range variants of the Grad rocket, originally from Russia but copied in China, Iran, Pakistan and several other countries," Ripley said. "Very simple to use but very inaccurate at the ranges for this attack. The damage would depend on where they hit but the potential for casualties would be high." If the plan for a rocket launch on Singapore is confirmed, it would suggest that militants in Southeast Asia are preparing far more sophisticated attacks than those of recent months. Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, has itself seen attacks by Islamist militants before. The bombing of two nightclubs on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people was among a spate of attacks during the 2000s. Police were largely successful in destroying domestic militant cells after that, but they now worry the influence of Islamic State will bring a resurgence of jihadi violence. Authorities in Indonesia and neighbouring Malaysia say dozens of men have gone from those countries to join Islamic State's fight in the Middle East. Security officials fear that Naim and other Islamic State leaders are now asking supporters in Southeast Asia to launch attacks at home. However, Jakarta-based security analyst Sidney Jones said it would be a departure for Naim and his supporters if they were thinking of attacking targets outside Indonesia. "One thing I think is clear is Bahrun Naim has been able to establish a lot of communication with a lot of people through his social media network," Jones said. (Reuters)

Singapore on high alert as suspected militant gang arrested

A militant and a policeman were killed while three other security personnel were injured in an encounter on Tuesday in Pakistan&#39;s restive Khyber Pakthunkhwa province. 
 
District Police Officer Swabi Javed Iqbal told reporters that the terrorist was killed when police raided a house in Gadoon Amazai area of Swabi district after credible information about the presence of terrorists. He said terrorists opened-fire on the police team, and that constable Muhammad Javed died while sub-inspector Muhammad Tariq and frontier corps personnel Muhammad Sajjad sustained critical bullet wounds. 
 
They were shifted to Peshawar for treatment.&nbsp;In retaliation, he said, police shot dead a terrorist identified as Anwar Sayed wanted in cases of terrorism. 
 
The police arrested two brothers of the terrorist from the house and also recovered a hand-grenade, one Kalashnikov, two pistols and cartridges.&nbsp;A search operation was conducted after the encounter during which dozens of suspects were taken into custody. 
 
In a separate incident, at least 42 suspected people, including 19 undocumented Afghan nationals, were arrested during a search operation in Hayatabad area of Peshawar district, bordering Khyber Agency.&nbsp;Drugs and arms were also recovered from some of the suspects. 
 
Pakistan has intensified the crackdown against illegal Afghan nationals in parts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa province after it decided not to allow any foreigner to stay in the country without valid documents. 
 
(PTI)

Police arrested two brothers of the terrorist and also recovered a hand-grenade, one Kalashnikov, two pistols and cartridges

A militant and a policeman were killed while three other security personnel were injured in an encounter on Tuesday in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakthunkhwa province. District Police Officer Swabi Javed Iqbal told reporters that the terrorist was killed when police raided a house in Gadoon Amazai area of Swabi district after credible information about the presence of terrorists. He said terrorists opened-fire on the police team, and that constable Muhammad Javed died while sub-inspector Muhammad Tariq and frontier corps personnel Muhammad Sajjad sustained critical bullet wounds. They were shifted to Peshawar for treatment. In retaliation, he said, police shot dead a terrorist identified as Anwar Sayed wanted in cases of terrorism. The police arrested two brothers of the terrorist from the house and also recovered a hand-grenade, one Kalashnikov, two pistols and cartridges. A search operation was conducted after the encounter during which dozens of suspects were taken into custody. In a separate incident, at least 42 suspected people, including 19 undocumented Afghan nationals, were arrested during a search operation in Hayatabad area of Peshawar district, bordering Khyber Agency. Drugs and arms were also recovered from some of the suspects. Pakistan has intensified the crackdown against illegal Afghan nationals in parts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa province after it decided not to allow any foreigner to stay in the country without valid documents. (PTI)

Militant, policeman killed in clash in Pakistan's Khyber Pakthunkhwa province

French authorities filed terror charges yesterday against two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, a judicial source said. 
 
The 29-year-old Algerian Adel Haddadi and the 35-year-old Pakistani Mohamad Usman were charged with &quot;criminal conspiracy with terrorists&quot;, the source said of the men turned over earlier Friday by Austrian authorities. 
 
Investigators believe they travelled to the Greek island of Leros on October 3 on the same boat full of refugees as two men who took part in the November 13 attacks. 
 
Those two, thought to be Iraqis, blew themselves up outside the Stade de France stadium, one of a series of brazen assaults by around 10 people around the French capital. 
 
But Haddadi and Usman were held up, detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had fake Syrian passports. 
 
Once let go, they followed the main migrant trail and made it to Salzburg in western Austria at the end of November - after the Paris attacks. 
 
Austrian police commandos then arrested them in December at a migrant centre a few hours after French authorities informed them the men could be in the country. 
 
Austrian police said on Friday &quot;that during the entire journey and until their arrest the men remained in constant contact with the terror group &#39;Islamic State&#39;.&quot; 
 
After his arrest, Haddadi told investigators that he wanted to go to France to &quot;carry out a mission,&quot; according to a statement seen by AFP. 
 
A source close to the investigation said that Haddadi &quot;was meant to take part in the Paris killings with his travelling companions.&quot; 
 
After France filed a European arrest warrant, a court in Salzburg approved at the beginning of July the transfer of the two men to France. 
 
Usman is reportedly thought to be a bomb maker for Pakistani extremist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). 
 
India holds LeT, allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda, responsible for attacks in 2008 in Mumbai that killed 166 people. 
 
Usman unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer from Austria, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. 
 
Salzburg prosecutors added yesterday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. 
 
In December prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held &quot;because of indications of close contact&quot; with the two now transferred to France. 
 
(AFP)

The 29-year-old Algerian and the 35-year-old Pakistani were charged with 'criminal conspiracy with terrorists'

French authorities filed terror charges yesterday against two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, a judicial source said. The 29-year-old Algerian Adel Haddadi and the 35-year-old Pakistani Mohamad Usman were charged with "criminal conspiracy with terrorists", the source said of the men turned over earlier Friday by Austrian authorities. Investigators believe they travelled to the Greek island of Leros on October 3 on the same boat full of refugees as two men who took part in the November 13 attacks. Those two, thought to be Iraqis, blew themselves up outside the Stade de France stadium, one of a series of brazen assaults by around 10 people around the French capital. But Haddadi and Usman were held up, detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had fake Syrian passports. Once let go, they followed the main migrant trail and made it to Salzburg in western Austria at the end of November - after the Paris attacks. Austrian police commandos then arrested them in December at a migrant centre a few hours after French authorities informed them the men could be in the country. Austrian police said on Friday "that during the entire journey and until their arrest the men remained in constant contact with the terror group 'Islamic State'." After his arrest, Haddadi told investigators that he wanted to go to France to "carry out a mission," according to a statement seen by AFP. A source close to the investigation said that Haddadi "was meant to take part in the Paris killings with his travelling companions." After France filed a European arrest warrant, a court in Salzburg approved at the beginning of July the transfer of the two men to France. Usman is reportedly thought to be a bomb maker for Pakistani extremist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India holds LeT, allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda, responsible for attacks in 2008 in Mumbai that killed 166 people. Usman unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer from Austria, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. Salzburg prosecutors added yesterday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. In December prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held "because of indications of close contact" with the two now transferred to France. (AFP)

France charges two men over links to Paris attacks

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called on US President Barack Obama on Saturday to extradite US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen to Turkey. 
 
Erdogan blames G?len&nbsp;for the failed coup. There has been tension between&nbsp;G?len and Erdogan for years. In 2013, Erdogan blamed&nbsp;G?len loyalists in the police and the courts for launching an anti-corruption probe, that targetted, among others, the President&#39;s son.&nbsp;The Guardian newspaper reports that Amsterdam cited Turkish intelligence sources who claim, &quot;there are signs that&nbsp;G?len is working closely with certain members of military leadership against the elected civilian government&quot;. WION was not able to confirm this independently. 
 
&quot;After this coup attempt, once again I call on him (Obama). I say: &#39;Give this person in Pennsylvania to Turkey already.&#39; I call on the United States, if we are strategic partners, if we are model partners, please comply with your partner&#39;s request, because we give you every terrorist you wanted from us,&quot; Erdogan told his supporters demonstrating outside his house in Istanbul. 
 
Turkish authorities rounded up nearly 3,000 suspected military plotters on Saturday and ordered thousands of judges detained after thwarting a coup by rebels using tanks and attack helicopters to try to topple Erdogan. 
 
For several hours overnight on Friday, violence shook Turkey&#39;s two main cities, as the armed faction which tried to seize power blocked a bridge in Istanbul and strafed the headquarters of Turkish intelligence and parliament in Ankara. 
 
At least 265 people were killed. An official said 161 of them were mostly civilians and police officers, while the remaining 104 were coup supporters. 
 
(Reuters)

Please comply with your partner's request, because we give you every terrorist you wanted from us: Erdogan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called on US President Barack Obama on Saturday to extradite US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen to Turkey. Erdogan blames G?len for the failed coup. There has been tension between G?len and Erdogan for years. In 2013, Erdogan blamed G?len loyalists in the police and the courts for launching an anti-corruption probe, that targetted, among others, the President's son. The Guardian newspaper reports that Amsterdam cited Turkish intelligence sources who claim, "there are signs that G?len is working closely with certain members of military leadership against the elected civilian government". WION was not able to confirm this independently. "After this coup attempt, once again I call on him (Obama). I say: 'Give this person in Pennsylvania to Turkey already.' I call on the United States, if we are strategic partners, if we are model partners, please comply with your partner's request, because we give you every terrorist you wanted from us," Erdogan told his supporters demonstrating outside his house in Istanbul. Turkish authorities rounded up nearly 3,000 suspected military plotters on Saturday and ordered thousands of judges detained after thwarting a coup by rebels using tanks and attack helicopters to try to topple Erdogan. For several hours overnight on Friday, violence shook Turkey's two main cities, as the armed faction which tried to seize power blocked a bridge in Istanbul and strafed the headquarters of Turkish intelligence and parliament in Ankara. At least 265 people were killed. An official said 161 of them were mostly civilians and police officers, while the remaining 104 were coup supporters. (Reuters)

Turkey's President calls upon US to extradite rival blamed for coup attempt

Two Indian nationals, who were kidnapped by suspected terrorists from an area called Boko near Makurdi in Benue State of Nigeria on June 29, were released today morning, said government sources. 
 
Mangapudi Srinivas, who hails from Visakhapatnam, and his colleague Kaushal Anish Sharma were released at 10.30 in the morning and had spoken to their families. 
 
Anish Sharma&#39;s wife thanked Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for ensuring their safe release. She also thanked the ministry and the mission for keeping the family informed of developments almost on daily basis. 
 
Sharma and Srinivas were reportedly travelling to Dangote Cement Plant in a car from their residential quarters at around 7.20 pm on June 29 when a group of armed men kidnapped them at a traffic signal. 
 
(ANI)

Anish Sharma, Mangapudi Srinivas were travelling to Dangote Cement Plant in a car when a group of armed men kidnapped them

Two Indian nationals, who were kidnapped by suspected terrorists from an area called Boko near Makurdi in Benue State of Nigeria on June 29, were released today morning, said government sources. Mangapudi Srinivas, who hails from Visakhapatnam, and his colleague Kaushal Anish Sharma were released at 10.30 in the morning and had spoken to their families. Anish Sharma's wife thanked Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for ensuring their safe release. She also thanked the ministry and the mission for keeping the family informed of developments almost on daily basis. Sharma and Srinivas were reportedly travelling to Dangote Cement Plant in a car from their residential quarters at around 7.20 pm on June 29 when a group of armed men kidnapped them at a traffic signal. (ANI)

Two Indians kidnapped in Nigeria released after fortnight

Over 40 IS militants were killed and around 44 others wounded during clearance operations Afghanistan&#39;s in Eastern Nangarhar province. 
 
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a statement yesterday said the operations were conducted in Kot district of Nangarhar covering Bandok, Zara Bandok, Jajal Ghondi, Sepa Ghondi, Bahadur Baba villages and its surrounding areas. 
 
The statement said that the hideouts of the terror group were also destroyed and the mentioned areas were cleared from the presence of IS militants. 
 
The Ministry of Defence added that the local residents did not suffer any casualties in the operations. 
 
Earlier the Ministry of Defence had said at least 37 IS loyalists were killed and around 40 others were wounded during the operations launched in response to a major attack launched by the terror group on Friday. 
 
Following the attack, the Afghan and the US forces stepped up raids against the terror group in Nangarhar province. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
 
 
&nbsp;

The country's Ministry of Defence issued a statement saying that IS hideouts in the region have also been destroyed

Over 40 IS militants were killed and around 44 others wounded during clearance operations Afghanistan's in Eastern Nangarhar province. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a statement yesterday said the operations were conducted in Kot district of Nangarhar covering Bandok, Zara Bandok, Jajal Ghondi, Sepa Ghondi, Bahadur Baba villages and its surrounding areas. The statement said that the hideouts of the terror group were also destroyed and the mentioned areas were cleared from the presence of IS militants. The Ministry of Defence added that the local residents did not suffer any casualties in the operations. Earlier the Ministry of Defence had said at least 37 IS loyalists were killed and around 40 others were wounded during the operations launched in response to a major attack launched by the terror group on Friday. Following the attack, the Afghan and the US forces stepped up raids against the terror group in Nangarhar province. (ANI)

Over 40 Islamic State fighters killed in clearance raids in Afghanistan's Nangarhar

Dozens of Turkish demonstrators gathered in Istanbul to protest the arrests of two journalists and an academic on charges of disseminating &quot;terrorist propaganda&quot;. A fourth journalist was released after a brief detention. 
 
Yesterday, protesters chanted &quot;a free press cannot be silenced&quot; and &quot;arrests, oppression cannot intimidate us&quot;. Others held up a banner that read: &quot;Thinking cannot be jailed&quot;. 
 
The demonstration comes a day after a Turkish court ordered the pre-trial arrest of Reporters Without Borders&#39; Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu, journalist Ahmet Nesin and academic Sebnem Korur Fincanci. 
 
The three had participated in a solidarity campaign in support of Ozgur Gundem, a pro-Kurdish publication subject to multiple investigations and lawsuits. 
 
Press freedom advocates warn that freedom of expression has dramatically declined in Turkey. More than a dozen journalists are in prison, although the government insists they have been jailed for criminal activity, not journalistic work. 
 
The state-run Anadolu Agency said Onderoglu, Nesin and Fincanci had acted as chief editors for a day for the pro-Kurdish publication and issues they edited in May and June included alleged terrorist propaganda. The news agency also said the court ordered the suspects&#39; arrest on &quot;strong criminal suspicion&quot;. 
 
Reporters Without Borders condemned their arrests as &quot;an unbelievable low for press freedom in Turkey&quot;. Human Rights Watch slammed the &quot;spurious allegations&quot; that led to the detention of three out of 44 participants in the solidarity campaign and urged their immediate release. 
 
HRW Europe and Central Asia Director, Hugh Williamson, said the arrests showed that &quot;Turkish authorities have no hesitation about targeting well-known rights defenders and journalists who have played a key role in documenting the sharp deterioration in human rights in the country&quot;. 
 
In a separate development, a New York-based journalist who covers the United Nations for the Turkish Hurriyet daily was released Tuesday morning. Razi Canikligil was detained for almost a full day after flying into Istanbul airport with his family. 
 
&quot;They arrested me in front of my three boys,&quot; Canikligil told the AP. &quot;They were very afraid.&quot; 
 
The journalist said an arrest warrant had been issued against him over a 2014 Twitter post on a troll account, which was mistakenly attributed to him and deemed to be offensive to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
 
No charges were pressed against Canikligil, and his passport was returned to him after a night in detention at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. 
 
&quot;Everyone was suggesting that this was government pressure to shut me down,&quot; added the journalist. &quot;We didn&#39;t know what the issue 
was.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Reporters Without Borders calls the arrests 'an unbelievable low for press freedom in Turkey', which has imprisoned over a dozen journalists

Dozens of Turkish demonstrators gathered in Istanbul to protest the arrests of two journalists and an academic on charges of disseminating "terrorist propaganda". A fourth journalist was released after a brief detention. Yesterday, protesters chanted "a free press cannot be silenced" and "arrests, oppression cannot intimidate us". Others held up a banner that read: "Thinking cannot be jailed". The demonstration comes a day after a Turkish court ordered the pre-trial arrest of Reporters Without Borders' Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu, journalist Ahmet Nesin and academic Sebnem Korur Fincanci. The three had participated in a solidarity campaign in support of Ozgur Gundem, a pro-Kurdish publication subject to multiple investigations and lawsuits. Press freedom advocates warn that freedom of expression has dramatically declined in Turkey. More than a dozen journalists are in prison, although the government insists they have been jailed for criminal activity, not journalistic work. The state-run Anadolu Agency said Onderoglu, Nesin and Fincanci had acted as chief editors for a day for the pro-Kurdish publication and issues they edited in May and June included alleged terrorist propaganda. The news agency also said the court ordered the suspects' arrest on "strong criminal suspicion". Reporters Without Borders condemned their arrests as "an unbelievable low for press freedom in Turkey". Human Rights Watch slammed the "spurious allegations" that led to the detention of three out of 44 participants in the solidarity campaign and urged their immediate release. HRW Europe and Central Asia Director, Hugh Williamson, said the arrests showed that "Turkish authorities have no hesitation about targeting well-known rights defenders and journalists who have played a key role in documenting the sharp deterioration in human rights in the country". In a separate development, a New York-based journalist who covers the United Nations for the Turkish Hurriyet daily was released Tuesday morning. Razi Canikligil was detained for almost a full day after flying into Istanbul airport with his family. "They arrested me in front of my three boys," Canikligil told the AP. "They were very afraid." The journalist said an arrest warrant had been issued against him over a 2014 Twitter post on a troll account, which was mistakenly attributed to him and deemed to be offensive to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. No charges were pressed against Canikligil, and his passport was returned to him after a night in detention at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. "Everyone was suggesting that this was government pressure to shut me down," added the journalist. "We didn't know what the issue was." (AFP)

Turkish demonstrators protest arrest of 2 journalists and 1 academic for 'terrorist propaganda'

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