Turkish authorities have disrupted planned attacks on Christmas and New Year's events by detaining over 100 members of the so-called Islamic State group. The Istanbul prosecutor's office reported that mass raids were conducted across 124 addresses, leading to the seizure of firearms, ammunition, and various organizational documents.
Officials indicated that IS supporters had been actively plotting attacks against non-Muslim populations during the festive season, resulting in the detention of 115 suspects with ongoing efforts to locate an additional 22 individuals.
The suspects were reportedly in contact with IS operatives located outside of Turkey. This operation follows a recent raid on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border by Turkish intelligence, which resulted in the capture of a Turkish national connected to IS activities in that region.
Turkey's security services have maintained a vigilant stance against suspected connections to IS, especially given its long border with Syria, where IS continues to exert influence. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged cooperation with international partners, including the US, to combat the remnants of IS operatives in the area.
In conjunction with Turkey's actions, the US has recently intensified air strikes against IS positions in Syria, a response to the violent ambush that resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter earlier this month.
