Ankara, Dec.25 (SANA) The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday that Turkish authorities have detained 115 suspects linked to the ISIS terrorist organization following intelligence indicating plans to carry out attacks during Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country.
According to a statement cited by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, investigations conducted by the Counterterrorism Directorate of the Istanbul Security Department revealed information suggesting that ISIS was preparing assaults targeting non-Muslims during the holiday period.
The statement said that simultaneous raids were carried out at 124 locations across Istanbul, during which firearms, ammunition and a number of organizational documents were seized. The operations resulted in the arrest of 115 suspects, while efforts are continuing to apprehend others who remain at large.
Two days earlier, Turkish intelligence announced the capture of a senior ISIS leader in an operation conducted in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Earlier this month, on December 5, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that 233 individuals suspected of either belonging to or financing ISIS were arrested during coordinated security operations carried out across several Turkish provinces.
