Special forces clash with militants in Yalova province, a week after 115 suspects were detained over alleged plots targeting Christmas and New Year’s events.
ANKARA — Seven Turkish police officers were wounded in a firefight with Daesh militants during a counter-terrorism raid in northwestern Turkey on Monday, according to state media, in the latest incident of a heightened security operation ahead of the holiday season.
The clash occurred in Yalova province, south of Istanbul, when police stormed a house where militants were hiding, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Special forces units from neighboring Bursa were called in as reinforcements. None of the injured officers were in serious condition.
The operation comes just one week after Turkish police detained 115 Daesh suspects across the country in coordinated raids. Authorities said the group had been planning attacks targeting Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, urging violence against non-Muslims.
Daesh has a history of carrying out deadly attacks in Turkey, most notably the 2017 New Year’s nightclub shooting in Istanbul that killed 39 people.
Turkish security forces have maintained intense pressure on the extremist group in recent years, though intermittent clashes and arrests continue to underscore ongoing threats, particularly around symbolic dates.
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