Skip to main content

Turkish police detain 30 IS suspects in raid: report

Turkey has pledged to carry on rooting out all 'terrorists' including the Islamic State group and members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party
Turkish police officers react after two of their colleagues were killed during clashes with IS (AFP)

Turkish police detained around 30 Islamic State group suspects in a dawn raid on Tuesday, a day after a deadly shootout with a group of the militants, local media reported.

Police launched simultaneous operations against IS cell houses in the conservative central Anatolian city of Konya, the Dogan news agency reported, adding that the operation was ongoing.

On Monday, two police officers and seven IS suspects were killed in a gun battle in the Kurdish majority city of Diyarbakir in the southeast of the country.

Turkey, gearing up for elections on Sunday, has launched a hunt for IS militants after blaming the group for a massive twin bomb attack in the capital Ankara this month that killed 102 people.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday vowed to press ahead with operations against all "terrorists" including Islamic the State and members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Long criticised by its Western allies for not doing enough to stem the rise of the IS, Turkey launched air strikes against IS targets in Syria after a deadly bombing on a border town in July. 

But most of the firepower was concentrated on PKK fighters based in northern Iraq, rupturing a 2013 truce between Ankara and the rebels.

Stay informed with MEE's newsletters

Sign up to get the latest alerts, insights and analysis, starting with Turkey Unpacked

 
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.