Turkish Police Detain 13 Suspected Islamic State Members in Istanbul

Turkish security forces in Istanbul apprehended 13 individuals on Wednesday, suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group. The operation, led by the city’s anti-terror police units, spanned 10 districts in a coordinated effort to detain these suspects.

The state-run Anadolu agency reported that the police suspect these individuals have connections to IS and other armed terrorist organizations active in conflict zones like Syria and Iraq. There is concern that they may have been planning attacks within Turkey.

Turkey, which officially designated IS as a terrorist organization in 2013, has been a target of several attacks by the extremist group. In response, Turkish authorities have conducted numerous counter-terrorism operations both within the country and overseas to combat the threat posed by IS and similar groups.