Police detain 39 Daesh suspects in counter-terror operations in Istanbul

Counter-terror squads from Istanbul Police detained a total of 39 Daesh terrorist suspects, 32 of whom were foreign nationals, reports said Monday.

Police reportedly launched 15 operations in eight districts of the city early Monday.

Sources noted that seven Turkish nationals taken into custody were brought to the Directorate of Anti-Terror Branch in Fatih district.

Police also detained and initiated deportation proceedings for 32 foreign nationals.

Numerous digital materials and documents were seized in raids made at the suspects' addresses.

During the operation, special operation teams entered a four-story apartment in the İskenderpaşa neighborhood of Fatih. The building and surrounding area were closed to street vehicles and pedestrian traffic. After an hour long operation, 10 men and two women were taken to the Haseki Training and Research Hospital for medical check-ups. Two suspects were detained, to be questioned after medical treatment.

Turkey has been targeted by a wave of deadly attacks since 2015 by Daesh and PKK terrorists.

Turkey has deported more than 5,000 Daesh suspects and 3,290 foreign terrorists from 95 different countries in recent years, while dismantling terror cells and safe houses providing logistical assistance to the terrorist group in Syria and Iraq or plotting attacks inside the country.

The country's efforts against Daesh made it a primary target for the terrorist group, which carried out numerous gun and bomb attacks targeting security forces and civilians, including the country's deadliest terror attack, which killed 102 people and wounded 400 others through a twin suicide bombing at a rally in capital Ankara, on Oct. 10, 2015.