UPDATE - Over 50 Daesh suspects arrested in Istanbul

UPDATES WITH ANTI-TERROR RAID IN BITLIS

By Halil Demir and Sener Toktas

ISTANBUL / BITLIS, Turkey (AA) - More than 50 foreign nationals have been arrested in Istanbul for their alleged links to Daesh terror group, according to police sources on Tuesday.

Anti-terror squads conducted simultaneous raids in 13 districts to apprehend 54 Daesh suspects, who were allegedly preparing to carry out attacks, the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to media restrictions, said.

Police also seized organizational documents and digital tools linked to the terror group at 19 locations in the city.

In a separate operation, two suspects were rounded up for their suspected links with Daesh in Guroymak district of the eastern Bitlis province, according to the provincial governor's statement on Tuesday.

The suspects are accused of being Daesh members and spreading the group’s propaganda, it said.

More than 300 people have lost their lives in Daesh-claimed attacks in Turkey so far, where the terror organization has targeted civilians in suicide bomb, rocket and gun attacks.

Turkish security forces have been involved in a long-running campaign to thwart Daesh attacks.