Turkey’s Interior Minister reported that three police officers and six members of the Islamic State (ISIS) were killed on Monday during a confrontation in northwestern Turkey.
The operation follows nationwide raids last week, during which police arrested 115 suspected militants accused of planning attacks around Christmas and New Year celebrations.
A gunfight erupted in Yalova, south of Istanbul, as police raided a house believed to be hiding militants. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said eight other police officers and a security guard were injured during the operation, according to DW.
Security forces deployed special units from neighboring Bursa province, and the operation spread across the streets, prompting heightened security measures.
Private broadcaster NTV reported that five schools in the area were closed for the day, while authorities cut off natural gas and electricity supplies as a precaution and restricted civilian and vehicle access to the neighborhood.
The state news agency Anadolu confirmed that none of the injured police officers were in critical condition.
Officials noted that ISIS has called for attacks during holiday periods, particularly targeting non-Muslims. The extremist group has carried out several deadly attacks in Turkey in recent years, including a shooting at a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year’s celebrations on January 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.
