Turkey detains 324 suspected of Islamic State group links

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities have detained 324 people suspected of links to the Islamic State group in a nationwide sweep, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

A statement said the suspects were detained across 47 provinces and included people suspected of financing IS and people previously known to be active in the group.

“For the peace, unity and solidarity of our nation, we continue our operations tirelessly, day and night, 365 days a year,” the ministry said. It did not provide details or say if any suspects detained were foreign nationals.

Turkey has carried out such raids in the past.

IS has carried out deadly attacks in Turkey over the years, including a shooting at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year celebrations in 2017 that killed 39 people.

In December, IS militants clashed with police in northwest Turkey, leaving three police officers and six militants dead, as police stormed a house where militants were hiding.

Last month, three assailants opened fire at police outside a building housing the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, sparking a gunfight that left one attacker dead. Interior Minister Mustafa Cifti said at the time that at least one assailant had links to a group he described as “exploiting religion,” without naming it.