ISIS
ISISReuters

Turkish authorities on Wednesday arrested a Syrian man who allegedly recruited militants from European countries to fight for the Islamic State (ISIS) group, The Associated Press reports.

The Turkish Anadolu agency said the man, identified as Safwan Qahwati, was arrested after a court order, days after he and his wife were detained on a highway near the southern town of Saricam and interrogated by police.

Qahwati and his wife had been located in a joint operation by police and intelligence officials and taken under custody by officers who stopped a bus in which the pair were travelling, Anadolu reported.

No details were provided about Qahwati's wife, but the agency said she is believed to have been detained, interrogated and then deported to an unknown location.

Qahwati was described as a senior ISIS member who recruited terrorists to the group and provided weapons and explosives training, according to AP.

Turkey has been hit by a string of terror attacks claimed by ISIS, including one during New Year's celebrations at an Istanbul nightclub that left 39 people dead.

In the days following the Istanbul attack, Turkish police detained almost 450 suspected ISIS members around the country.