ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities have detained scores of suspects over alleged links with the militant Islamic State group in a nationwide sweep ahead of New Year celebrations, the interior minister said on Saturday.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Ali Yerlikaya said that 189 suspects had been detained as part of simultaneous operations dubbed “HEROES-38” carried out in 37 cities including Istanbul.

Twenty-seven suspects were detained in the capital Ankara alone and 22 in Istanbul, he said.

Turkiye has in recent months intensified operations against IS fighters who have claimed a number of deadly attacks on Turkish soil including the January 1, 2017 attack on a nightclub in Istanbul which killed 39 people.

On Friday, Turkish security forces detained 32 IS suspects, including three senior members who were planning attacks on churches and synagogues as well as the Iraqi embassy.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2023