Turkish authorities continued nationwide operations against suspected Islamic State members Wednesday, detaining 125 people in coordinated raids across 25 provinces.
The raids follow a week of large-scale operations aimed at preventing attacks during Christmas and New Year festivities. Last Monday, suspected IS militants opened fire on police in Yalova province, killing six suspects and three officers, while wounding eight other officers and a night guard. Authorities said all militants were Turkish citizens.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the operations, conducted by police and gendarmerie forces, included major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, and Yalova. He vowed that those targeting Turkey’s unity and values would face the full power of the state.
Turkey has carried out similar anti-IS sweeps in previous years amid a global resurgence of the group, including recent attacks in Australia and strikes on U.S. forces in Syria. U.S. Central Command said nearly 25 IS operatives were killed or captured in Syria this month, while Syrian forces recently captured a local IS leader and killed a senior commander near Damascus.