Turkish authorities have arrested three more Iranians as part of an ongoing operation against an Iranian initiative to organize "hit squads" to attack Israeli civilians in Istanbul, Turkish media reported Friday.
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The three suspects were arrested on July 14. After a court appearance, the men were sent to a remand hearing on July 18. The new arrests bring the number of Iranians arrested in the plot to attack Israelis to seven, five of whom were arrested at the end of June. One has already been released on condition.
One of the Iranian detained had been charged with patrolling the area around a hotel at a main square in Istanbul, while another was organizing the attack. A third was supposed to have been the one to carry it out. The Turkish reports said that Iranians had pretended they were visiting Turkey as tourists, to do business, or as students.
The reports further said that the Iranian suspects were keeping close tabs on their target and had been arrested in possession of weapons and foreign passports, including three handguns, two lasers, and three silencers.
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