Turkey detains dozens of IS suspects planning attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations
ISTANBUL (AP) — Istanbul police launched numerous simultaneous raids Thursday, arresting more than a hundred suspected members of the Islamic State militant group who allegedly planned attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations, authorities said.
A statement from the Istanbul General Prosecutor’s Office said police were informed that the extremist group had called for action, particularly against non-Muslims, during the celebrations.
The office had issued arrest warrants for 137 suspects, of whom 115 were arrested. Agents also seized numerous firearms, cartridges and documents during the searches. He said 124 sites were raided.
These arrests come days after the Trump administration launched a sweeping military strikes in neighboring Syria “eliminate” Islamic State fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for a the ambush blamed on the group that killed two American soldiers and an American civilian interpreter.
Syrian security forces have also launched operations against IS in recent days, including two raids on the outskirts of Damascus, the Syrian capital. During the raids, Syrian officials said Taha al-Zoubi, identified as the IS leader in the Damascus area, was captured and Mohammed Shahadeh, a senior IS commander in Syria, was killed.
High Turkish officials visited Syria earlier this week to discuss, among other things, counterterrorism efforts against ISIS.
At its peak in 2015, ISIS controlled a swath of territory in Iraq and Syria equivalent to half the size of the United Kingdom. He was known for his brutality against religious minorities as well as Muslims who do not follow the militants’ extreme interpretation of Islam.
After years of fighting, the U.S.-led coalition broke the group’s last hold on territory in late 2019, but IS cells in several countries continue to carry out periodic attacks.
