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ISTANBUL (AP) — An American and a British man, allegedly members of the Islamic State group, were arrested in Turkey after crossing the border from Syria and handing themselves over to the authorities, officials said Friday.
A Turkish official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol, said American Kary Paul Kleman and Briton Stefan Aristidou arrived at Oncupinar border crossing in Kilis province on April 20 and were arrested four days later.
Kleman was traveling with his Syrian wife and four children. His family was put under administrative detention to be deported to the U.S. in order to keep them together, according to the official.
A British Foreign Office official said British authorities are in contact with Turkish authorities "following the detention of a British man on the Turkey/Syria border." Aristidou's British wife and child would be deported to the U.K., according to the Turkish official.
Turkey's official Anadolu news agency reported Friday that the men were detained and later arrested on suspicion that they are members of the extremist Islamic State group.
Anadolu said two Egyptians and four more children were also traveling with the group and will be deported.
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Paisley Dodds contributed from London.
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