STORY: Turkish police detain 33 IS suspects
SHOOTING TIME: March 10, 2024
DATELINE: March 11, 2024
LENGTH: 00:00:52
LOCATION: SAKARYA, Türkiye
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Turkish counter-terrorism police detaining 33 suspects of the IS group in the northwestern province of Sakarya, seizing weapons, cash and organizational documents during the raids (Courtesy of Turkish Interior Ministry)

STORYLINE:

Turkish police detained 33 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) group in operations in the northwestern province of Sakarya over alleged preparation of attacks ahead of the country's local elections later this month, a cabinet minister said Sunday.

The IS suspects were "preparing and searching for action before the upcoming local elections," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media platform X.

The suspects were allegedly recruiting fighters to conflict zones, providing financial aid for the group, and operating illegal mosques and madrassas, said the minister.

The police teams seized weapons, cash, and organizational documents during raids, he added.

Türkiye has stepped up operations against IS terrorists after the group attacked a church in Istanbul in late January, killing a civilian during Sunday mass.

The Turkish government designated the IS as a terrorist organization in 2013 and blamed it for a spate of deadly attacks in the country since 2015.

In December last year, Turkish intelligence and security forces captured a top IS terrorist in charge of the group's finances in an operation in Türkiye's southeastern province of Mersin.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Sakarya, Türkiye.
(XHTV)