Turkey arrested 115 suspected members of the Islamic State group this Thursday (25). They are being accused of planning attacks during the holiday season. Similar waves of arrests are carried out regularly at this time, ahead of traditional New Year celebrations.
Police carried out simultaneous arrest, search and seizure operations at 124 addresses, confiscating pistols, ammunition and what authorities described as organizational documents. Operations to arrest the remaining 22 suspects are ongoing.
In a statement, the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office reported that:
“Information was found that the armed terrorist organization ISIS [sigla do Estado Islâmico em inglês] planned to carry out actions against our country, especially against non-Muslim individuals, in connection with the upcoming Christmas and New Year events.”
Turkey, which shares a 900 km border with Syria, fears infiltration by the jihadist group, which remains active in the neighboring country.
