Turkish police conduct major anti-terror op in Istanbul

ISTANBUL- Anadolu Agency

Turkish police raided 21 homes in Istanbul and detained a number of people with suspected links to the ISIL terror group, security sources said early on Oct. 22. 

The suspects were detained during the early morning hours in simultaneous anti-terror operations in the city by teams of Turkish police and intelligence agency personnel, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, adding some of them are suspected of being active in Syria.

In 2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare ISIL a terrorist group.

The country has since been attacked by ISIL terrorists multiple times, with at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks and four armed attacks that killed 315 people and injured hundreds more.

In response, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.