A total of 63 suspected Daesh terrorists were detained Saturday in counterterror operations conducted in Turkey's Istanbul, Ankara, Şanlıurfa and Izmir provinces.
Istanbul police units launched an operation in Bayrampaşa district after identifying a suspicious vehicle near a shopping mall. Four Daesh terrorists, including one who has been injured, were detained during the operation, while the suspicious bomb vehicle was targeted by controlled blasting. Investigations regarding the vehicle continue, officials said.
Anti-terror police squads detained 49 foreign nationals with suspected links to the Daesh terror group in Turkey's capital Ankara early Saturday.
Some of the suspects were planning to stage attacks at the 94th Republic Day celebrations of Turkey, set to be held Sunday, the official Anadolu Agency reported.
Police officers along with special operations teams have raided several hideouts of the terror group predominantly in the capital's Sincan and Etimesgut districts.
Six additional suspects of foreign nationality are reportedly sought with a warrant in Ankara.
Police have been questioning the detained suspects, including some who were found to have fought for the terror group in Syria and Iraq.
Meanwhile, a total of five Daesh terrorists of Syrian origin were detained in southeastern Şanlıurfa province.
The intelligence and anti-terror unit of the Şanlıurfa Provincial Security Directorate identified the suspects after a tipoff. The Daesh terrorists illegal entered the city and were reportedly planning a bomb attack. Media sources stated that interrogation procedures of the suspects were continuing at the police headquarters.
Another five Daesh terrorists were detained in the Aegean province of Izmir on Saturday. The suspects were later identified as Syrian nationals. During the counterterror operation, numerous documents belonging to the terror group were also seized.