Five people suspected of hacking Qatar’s official state news agency have recently been detained in Turkey, authorities have announced.
Speaking to QNA, Attorney General Dr. Ali bin Fetais al Marri said:
“Our friends in Turkey answered us a short time ago. Five people were arrested and they are being investigated. The prosecutors in Qatar are working with the Turkish authorities to follow this case.”
The hack took place in May. At the time, QNA published fake news attributed to Qatar’s Emir, including offensive remarks about the country’s neighbors.
This kicked off a months-long Gulf dispute that still shows no signs of abating.
UAE’s involvement
No details were provided about the detainees’ nationalities or backgrounds.
But last month, the Ministry of Interior said that the cyberattack originated from the UAE.
Chronological order of the hacking incident that took place on May 24. [English subtitles at 0:31] (#Qatar MOI)pic.twitter.com/9LPijpaj95
— Reem Al-Harmi ريم الحرمي (@Reem_AlHarmi) July 20, 2017
One captain added at the time that the hack “was so professional that it had to have ‘state resources’ behind it.”
US intelligence officials also supported this claim, though the UAE has denied it.
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