Soon after the US raid that led to the death of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi right under Turkey’s nose, Ankara embarked on a busy hunt for militants — almost as if to mask some guilt — but the black holes in its fight against terrorism are exposing themselves.

Amid lingering questions on how Baghdadi was able to hide just several kilometers from the border in an area watched by its military and intelligence, Turkey has detained dozens of suspects in its abrupt onslaught on IS cells. The raids, however, have led many to wonder why the authorities waited until now if they were aware of the locations.

On Nov. 4, officials announced the capture of Baghdadi’s sister, Rasmiya Awad, along with her husband, daughter-in-law and five children in the Turkish-controlled Syrian border town of Azaz. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s communication chief hailed the arrests as “yet another example of the success of our counterterrorism operations.”

Erdogan broke more news the following day. “Baghdadi killed himself in a tunnel," he said. "And we had captured his wife, but we did not make a fuss about it. I’m announcing this for the first time today.”