Turkish military says 9 British citizens trying to get to Syria have been arrested

ISTANBUL – Turkey's military says that nine British citizens have been arrested trying to cross into Syria.

The military says they were taken into custody in Hatay province, but a statement Wednesday didn't say when.

The nine are among a spate of recent cases of British citizens heading to Syria through Turkey, some successful, some not. Last month, in two separate incidents, a 21-year-old woman and three British girls were detained after arriving in Turkey.

Three British schoolgirls traveled in February from the U.K. to Turkey, from where they are believed to have crossed into Syria.