Turkish police conducted large-scale operations today (December 30) against the Islamic State throughout Turkey, detaining 357 suspects in 21 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara and Yalova.
The clashes in Yalova between police and jihadists had taken place the previous day, leaving three police officers and six Islamic State fighters dead, following reports that they were planning attacks during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
The Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office announced that 110 detentions were carried out in the area during police raids at 114 addresses.
The most well-known IS attack in Turkey took place on January 1, 2017, in Istanbul, at a nightclub, leaving 39 people dead.
Some of the suspects had links to the fighters who opened fire on police in Yalova, while others were suspected of planning possible New Year’s attacks, it said.
Several of those detained are suspected of collecting money under the guise of charity and channeling it to networks linked to IS in Syria, according to the prosecutor’s office.
In Ankara, police detained 17 suspects in raids, including 11 foreign nationals, according to the authorities, who added that police found digital material linking them to Islamic State fighters in conflict zones.
The Islamic State has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Turkey, the most notable being the nightclub attack in Istanbul during New Year’s celebrations on January 1, 2017, in which 39 people were killed.
Sources: Associated Press
