Istanbul police conduct over 100 anti-Daesh operations

By Arif Yakici

ISTANBUL (AA) - Istanbul police have increased its ongoing fight against the Daesh terrorist organization since August last year, carrying out over 100 operations and nabbing close to 1,000 suspects.

The Istanbul Police Department's Counter-Terrorism Unit teams carried out 136 operations across the city between Aug. 15, 2016, and Oct. 30, 2017, apprehending 968 suspects linked to the group, according to information gathered by Anadolu Agency.

Operations were also launched at Istanbul's International Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen Airports as well as the main coach station on the European side in an effort to apprehend foreign terrorists.

During the operations, a suspect was also neutralized after resisting arrest while 940 people were deported.

Police teams also halted a number of terror acts across the city.

On Oct. 28, police arrested four Daesh suspects, including two women who were planning a terror attack in Bayrampasa district, which is located in the European part of the city.

On Nov. 30, 2016, police arrested a suspect in Istanbul for planning an attack on the Turkish parliament building in capital Ankara as well as religious centers.

On Aug. 27, 2016, a suspect was detained for planning terror acts in a bookstore selling books on Christianity and a local political party headquarters in Istanbul.