ISTANBUL: Turkish security forces have arrested 32 suspects, including three senior members of the militant Daesh group, who were plotting to attack, churches, synagogues and the Iraqi embassy in Türkiye, interior minister said on Friday.
Ali Yerlikaya on social media platform X stated the detentions had thwarted planned attacks on churches and synagogues in Istanbul.
The arrests were made during a coordinated operation jointly conducted by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Turkish police in nine different cities early Friday.
Numerous digital equipment seized
The operation resulted in the seizure of numerous digital equipment belonging to Daesh terror group.
Despite the militant Daesh group has been largely defeated, some of its fighters remain in hiding in remote areas of Syria and Iraq, from which they carry out attacks.
Türkiye continues to be targeted by Daesh militants and has been hit by a string of deadly bombings. On January 1, 2017 an attack in Istanbul killed 39 people in a nightclub during New Year celebrations.
The arrest of Daesh operatives come a week after police rounded up 304 suspected Daesh/ISIL fighters in different raids across Türkiye.
Turkish authorities have also increased operations against Kurdish fighters in recent weeks, after they detonated a bomb near government buildings in Ankara on October 1.
Türkiye became one of the first countries in 2013 to declare Daesh a militant organization.
