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Yalova: On Monday, a shootout in northwest Turkey resulted in the deaths of three police officers and six Daesh militants, according to the Interior Ministry. This occurred a week after over 100 suspected Daesh members were detained for allegedly planning attacks during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that eight police officers and another security personnel were injured during a raid on a residence in Yalova, located along the Sea of Marmara south of Istanbul. Authorities conducted over 100 raids nationwide early Monday morning.
Turkey has intensified its crackdown on suspected Daesh militants this year amid the group’s resurgence on the global stage. Last week, the U.S. conducted a drone strike against Daesh targets in northwest Nigeria, and Australian officials indicated that two individuals involved in an attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach earlier this month appeared to be inspired by Daesh.
On December 19, U.S. forces launched extensive strikes against multiple Daesh sites in Syria in response to an assault on American personnel.
During the raid in Yalova, authorities suspected militants were hiding there overnight. A witness from Reuters reported hearing sporadic gunfire during an operation that lasted nearly eight hours.
Last week, Turkish police arrested 115 individuals suspected of belonging to Daesh, accusing them of plotting attacks on the holiday festivities across the country.
Yerlikaya emphasized that all the militants killed in Monday’s clash were Turkish citizens. He added that five women and six children were rescued alive from the scene.
Over the past month, authorities have arrested 138 Daesh suspects and conducted simultaneous operations at 108 locations in 15 provinces, he explained.
President Tayyip Erdogan expressed condolences to the families of the fallen officers via a post on X (formerly Twitter), reaffirming Turkey’s commitment to fighting “the bloodthirsty villains who threaten our people’s peace and our nation’s security,” both within and outside its borders.
In the early hours, police sealed off the road leading to the targeted house, with smoke rising from a nearby fire, and a police helicopter overhead. The Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office last week indicated that Daesh was particularly planning attacks targeting non-Muslim communities.
Historically, the militant group was responsible for several attacks on civilians in Turkey about a decade ago, including shootings at Istanbul’s nightclub and main airport, which collectively claimed dozens of lives. Turkey served as a key transit hub for foreign fighters entering and leaving Syria during the conflict.
Despite ongoing police operations over the years, the frequency of attacks has significantly decreased since the violence peaks in 2015-2017.
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