Published: 14:34, April 9, 2026
Türkiye jails 198 suspects in nationwide IS crackdown
By Xinhua
A police official gestures as he stands alert near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on April 7, 2026, following a shootout between gunmen and police. (PHOTO/AFP)

ISTANBUL - Turkish authorities have jailed 198 suspects in a nationwide operation against the Islamic State (IS) following an armed attack on a police checkpoint in Istanbul, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said late Wednesday.

The coordinated raids spanned 34 provinces, with legal proceedings opened against 273 individuals, 198 of whom have been formally remanded in custody.

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The sweep follows a shooting near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, in which three attackers opened fire on a police security point. One assailant was killed, and four others, including two police officers and two attackers, were injured.

Gurlek said the operations are part of a broader effort to neutralize security threats within the country and along its borders.

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Türkiye has intensified domestic security measures in recent years, regularly raiding IS networks and other outlawed groups. Ankara designated IS as a terrorist organization in 2013, and the country has faced multiple attacks by the group since.