World Bulletin/News Desk

Turkish police have denied reports that three people from Syria recently taken into custody by police in Konya province are connected to the alleged killing of two Syrian bishops who had been kidnapped in April in Syria.

Police have no proof that the three people arrested are linked to the kidnapping of the bishops, a leading police official who asked not to be named told Today's Zaman on Thursday. Police do not have any proof either that the bishops have been killed, the official added.

Turkish dailies, including Today's Zaman, referring to a news story issued by a local news agency, reported on Wednesday that three people from Syria, of Russian, Syrian and Chechen origin, who were taken into custody by the police while on the road were suspected of having killed the bishops. Despite claims that the three alleged suspects were released after being kept in custody for four days, the police official affirmed that the three are still being kept under arrest, as they had been caught with a bomb at police control in Konya.

Aleppo and Hatay Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Pavlov Yazıcı and Aleppo Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan Yuhhana Ibrahim were kidnapped near Aleppo in April.