Turkish authorities carried out nationwide operations against individuals suspected of belonging to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Wednesday, resulting in the detention of 125 people in simultaneous raids conducted across 25 provinces. Over the past week, the police have apprehended numerous ISIS suspects in nationwide raids aimed at thwarting potential attacks during the Christmas and New Year period.
During one of the operations in the northwestern province of Yalova on Monday, members of a suspected ISIS cell engaged in a shootout with the police. The clash led to the deaths of six ISIS suspects and three police officers, while eight officers and a night guard sustained injuries when security forces raided a house used as a hideout. Turkish authorities confirmed that all the militants involved were Turkish citizens.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that Wednesday’s coordinated raids were carried out in cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, and Yalova by the police and gendarmerie forces. Yerlikaya emphasized in a social media post that those who threaten the nation’s unity and values will be met with the full force of the state and the unity of the people.
ISIS has been responsible for several deadly attacks in Turkey, including the infamous shooting at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year’s Day celebrations on January 1, 2017, which claimed the lives of 39 individuals.
Turkey has previously conducted large-scale operations against suspected ISIS members, but the recent sweep comes amidst a perceived global resurgence of the terrorist group, evidenced by recent ISIS-inspired attacks in Australia and assaults on U.S. forces in neighboring Syria. The U.S. military reported that almost 25 ISIS operatives were either killed or captured in Syria this month following an ambush that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter.
Syrian security forces have also been active in targeting ISIS, with recent operations including raids on the outskirts of Damascus, resulting in the capture of Taha al-Zoubi, identified as the ISIS leader in the Damascus area, and the death of Mohammed Shahadeh, a senior ISIS commander in Syria.