Turkish authorities detained 324 suspects in operations targeting the Daesh terrorist group across 47 provinces, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.
According to a ministry statement, the raids were carried out in coordination with the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), police units and public prosecutors. Operations took place in several major cities, including Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir.
Authorities said the suspects included individuals wanted by security forces, people accused of providing financial support to the terrorist group and others alleged to have previously operated within group networks.
Security forces also seized one handgun, four rifles, 122 rounds of ammunition, digital materials and financial assets worth TL 9.67 million (approximately $214,000).
Türkiye considers the Daesh terrorist group one of the biggest threats to the country’s security and peace, as the group faces nationwide raids, and was one of the first countries to declare it a terrorist group in 2013.
Officials said counterterrorism operations targeting Daesh networks and financing structures will continue across the country.
On April 7, suspected Daesh members fired at police officers near a building housing the Israeli Consulate. One assailant was killed, and two others were injured in the ensuing shootout, while two police officers were slightly injured. Although Daesh was not officially named as behind the attack, following the incident, authorities launched a nationwide sweep against the terrorist group and detained dozens of suspects. Last December, Daesh members killed three Turkish police officers during an operation targeting a house where suspects resided in the northwestern city of Yalova.
