Turkish police conduct major anti-terror op in Istanbul

By Ibrahim Halil Akturk

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish police raided 21 homes in Istanbul and arrested a number of people with suspected links to the Daesh/ISIS terror group, security sources said early Thursday.

The suspects were arrested during the early morning hours in simultaneous anti-terror operations in the city by teams of Turkish police and intelligence agency personnel, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, adding some of them are suspected of being active in Syria.

The raided homes are still being searched, while an operation is also being conducted to arrest other suspects on the run.

In 2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist group.

The country has since been attacked by Daesh/ISIS terrorists multiple times, with at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks and four armed attacks that killed 315 people and injured hundreds more.

In response, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.

*Writing by Ahmet Gencturk