Turkish authorities arrest over 100 ISIL suspects amid surge in regional activity
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Turkish authorities arrest over 100 ISIL suspects amid surge in regional activity")
File image of Turkish police Photograph: (AFP)
Turkey has arrested 125 ISIL suspects in nationwide raids amid heightened security following a deadly shootout in Yalova, as the group resurges with regional activity
Turkey's government has announced the arrest of over 100 suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) following a series of nationwide raids. The arrests come as the terror group shows signs of increased activity in the region after a period of dormancy. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the arrests in a social media post on Wednesday (December 31), saying that 125 suspects were arrested across 25 provinces, including the capital, Ankara.
This operation marks the third of its kind in less than a week, coinciding with the holiday season, and follows a violent clash between Turkish police and suspected ISIL operatives on Tuesday (December 30) in the city of Yalova. In the shootout, three Turkish officers and six suspected ISIL members, all Turkish nationals, lost their lives. Just a day later, Turkish security forces carried out a major operation, detaining 357 more suspected ISIL members.
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Yerlikaya vowed that anyone attempting to disrupt Turkey's unity and stability would face the full force of the state. The country has ramped up efforts to dismantle ISIL sleeper cells during the holiday period, a time when the group has historically launched attacks in Turkey. Notably, in 2017, an ISIL gunman attacked an Istanbul nightclub on New Year’s Eve, killing 39 people.
Intelligence reports indicated that ISIL operatives were planning assaults on non-Muslim communities in Turkey this holiday season. The group remains active in Syria, where it continues to stage attacks, particularly in the wake of the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad. The United States military has also targeted ISIL cells in northeastern Syria this month, resulting in the deaths or captures of around 25 militants.
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