Istanbul
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Turkish police have detained 115 suspected members of the ISIS militant group in coordinated raids throughout the nation over alleged plots linked to Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Arrest warrants have been issued for 137 suspects after investigators decided that operatives of ISIS, often known as Islamic State, have been planning assaults in Turkey through the vacation interval, the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office stated in a press release on Thursday.
“Information was found that the ISIS Armed Terrorist Organization was planning to carry out actions targeting our country, especially non-Muslim individuals, within the scope of the upcoming Christmas and New Year events,” the assertion stated.
“They were in contact with conflict zones within the scope of terrorist organization activities,” the assertion added.
Police carried out simultaneous arrest, search and seizure operations at 124 addresses, seizing pistols, ammunition and what officers described as organizational paperwork. Operations to apprehend the remaining 22 suspects are ongoing, prosecutors stated.
Turkey routinely steps up wide-ranging counterterrorism operations round end-of-the-year holidays, significantly since a 2017 ISIS assault on the Reina nightclub in Istanbul throughout New Year celebrations killed dozens of folks.
Authorities stated additional info could be launched because the investigation continues.