istanbul, Türkiye
—
ISIS militants opened fire on police during a nighttime raid in Turkey’s western Yalova province on Monday, killing three people and wounding eight, authorities said.
Turkish authorities said six ISIS members were killed and five others were captured in an operation that lasted more than seven hours in the village of El Malik, 100 kilometers from Istanbul.
The raids come as law enforcement officials step up raids ahead of planned attacks on minorities during the winter holidays.
Video of the operation on social media showed a nighttime gunfight as police raided a suspected ISIS hideout. Footage taken afterwards showed smoke billowing from the scene of the attack and fire engines rushing to the scene.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the raid was carried out “with great care, as there were also women and children present.” He told a televised news conference that five women and six children who took part in the speech were safely taken into custody.
Turkish state television reported that electricity and natural gas to Elmalik were cut off during the attack. Local schools were closed for the day.
Turkey regularly launches extensive counter-terrorism sweeps across the country against ISIS as well as other groups such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey lists as a terrorist organization.
Since 2017, when ISIS attacked a nightclub in Reina during New Year’s celebrations, killing 39 people, authorities have stepped up raids, especially around the year-end holidays. The last ISIS attack in Türkiye was in January 2024, when gunmen attacked a church in Istanbul, killing one person.
Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunku said an investigation into the raid had been launched and five state prosecutors had been assigned to the case.
Erikaya said that in the past month, 138 terrorist suspects were detained and 97 were placed under judicial management measures.
Turkish security forces are carrying out coordinated raids across the country in connection with suspected plots related to Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations, the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday.
“Information has come to light that the armed terrorist organization ISIS is planning actions targeting our country, particularly non-Muslims, within the scope of the upcoming Christmas and New Year events,” the statement said.
