Turkish police detain 357 suspects in raids against the Islamic State group

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish police carried out further large-scale operations against the Islamic State group across Turkey on Tuesday, detaining 357 suspects, the interior minister said.

The raids came a day after a deadly clash in the northwestern province of Yalova, where three police officers and six IS militants were killed. Eight other officers and a night guard were wounded when police stormed a house used as a hideout.

Turkey has launched a series of operations against suspected IS cells in the past week, following reports that operatives were planning attacks targeting Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, authorities said.

On Tuesday, police carried out simultaneous raids in 21 provinces, including in Istanbul, Ankara and Yalova, and detained 357 suspects, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement posted on X. He did not provide further details.

Earlier, the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office said 110 suspects were detained in raids on 114 addresses.

Some of the suspects were linked to the militants who opened fire against police in Yalova, while others were suspected of planning possible attacks around New Year’s Day, it said.

Several of the detainees are suspected of collecting money under the guise of charity and funneling it to IS-linked networks in Syria, according to the prosecutor’s office.

In Ankara, police detained 17 suspects in raids, including 11 foreign nationals, authorities said, adding that police had found digital material linking them to IS fighters in conflict zones.

IS has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Turkey, most notably a shooting at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year celebrations on Jan. 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.