Istanbul (TDI): Turkish security forces have detained 110 suspects in a large-scale operation targeting Daesh, a day after a deadly gunfight in northwestern Turkiye left three police officers and six militants dead, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Tuesday.
The arrests followed an eight-hour siege at a house in the town of Yalova, located on the Sea of Marmara south of Istanbul. During the operation, eight police officers and another security personnel member were wounded. The raid was part of a broader crackdown that targeted more than 100 locations nationwide.
Authorities said Tuesday’s operation involved coordinated raids on 114 addresses across Istanbul and two other provinces. Of the 115 suspects sought, 110 were taken into custody. Police also seized digital devices and documents believed to be linked to extremist activities.
The latest crackdown comes just a week after Turkish authorities detained more than 100 suspected Daesh members over alleged plans to carry out attacks during the Christmas and New Year period.
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Turkiye has intensified operations against Daesh networks this year amid concerns about the group’s renewed activity worldwide. In recent weeks, the United States carried out strikes against Daesh targets in Nigeria and Syria, while Australian police said attackers involved in a recent incident at a Hanukkah event in Sydney appeared to have been inspired by the group.
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Daesh was responsible for several deadly attacks in Turkiye nearly a decade ago, including assaults on Istanbul’s main airport and a popular nightclub, which killed dozens. During the Syrian conflict, Türkiye had been a key transit route for foreign fighters entering and leaving the country.
Since the wave of violence between 2015 and 2017, Turkish security forces have continued regular counterterrorism operations, and major attacks have remained rare.
