Ankara, Dec 20 : Turkish intelligence detained the administrative and financial head of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group operating in Syria, state media reported.

The IS suspect, Huzeyfe Al Muri, codenamed Eyyup, was nabbed from the southern province of Mersin, Xinhua quoted Anadolu news agency citing security sources as saying.  The Turkish security forces seized $28,800, 14,950 euros, 31,800 Turkish liras, and many digital materials of the terrorist group during the raid.

Turkish authorities also detected mobile applications used by IS for money transfers, according to Anadolu.  In his testimony, Huzeyfe Al Muri gave detailed information about the process of joining the terror group, his activities in Syria and Turkey, the IS members he was in contact with, and his money transfers, the news agency reported.  The Turkish government designated the IS a terrorist organization in 2013, blaming it for a spate of deadly attacks in the country since 2015.  The country's southern border with Syria has been a major crossing point for Syrians and foreign fighters since a civil war broke out in the Arab country in 2011.