The China Mail - Turkey steps up anti-IS raids, arresting 125 suspects

Nearly 600 people have now been detained in anti-IS raids over the past week.

"We captured 125 Daesh suspects in simultaneous operations carried out in 25 provinces this morning," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

On December 25, security forces arrested 115 IS suspects following an intelligence warning that the extremist group was "planning attacks during Christmas and New Year celebrations", the Istanbul's prosecutor's office said.

During another nationwide arrest operation on Monday, IS militants opened fire on police in the northwestern town of Yalova, killing three officers and wounding nine others, the interior minister said.

Six IS militants were also killed in the hours-long gun battle in the town on the shores of the Sea of Marmara about 90 kilometres (55 miles) southeast of Istanbul.

A day later, another 357 suspects with ties to IS were arrested in 21 different provinces, the minister said.

- Travel warnings -

Ahead of the festivities, Germany and Australia issued travel warnings for Turkey, urging their nationals to exercise caution due to "the threat of terrorism".

"The period before New Year's Eve is a particularly symbolic time for terrorist attacks," Germany's foreign ministry said.

"Exercise particular caution at the turn of the year 2025/2026."

Australia urged its nationals to "be alert to threats, especially in crowded public settings" because "there is an increased risk of terrorist attacks around large gatherings, including New Year celebrations."

Turkey's anti-IS raids began just days after its intelligence agency captured a Turkish national who holds a senior IS role in a raid on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, state news agency Anadolu reported on December 22.

The suspect, Mehmet Goren, had allegedly been tasked with organising suicide attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey and Europe.

Islamic State has staged several major attacks in Europe over the past decade, including one in Istanbul on New Year's Eve.

In the early hours of January 1, 2017, an IS gunman opened fire inside a nightclub on the banks of the Bosphorus, killing 39 people, mostly foreigners.

The Uzbek gunman was captured and sentenced to 40 life jail sentences.

In his comments, Yerlikaya warned anyone seeking to attack Turkey, saying they would "face the might of our state and the unity of our nation".

L.Kwan--ThChM