A violent confrontation unfolded in Yalova early Monday as Turkish police engaged armed jihadist suspects during a planned counterterrorism operation.
Authorities reported that the mission aimed to neutralize individuals believed to be involved in extremist activity, but the situation escalated into an exchange of fire.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that officers came under attack during the raid, resulting in the deaths of 3 police personnel and injuries to 9 others.
According to his announcement, 6 jihadists were also killed during the clash.
Police simultaneously conducted operations at 108 additional locations across 15 provinces as part of a wider security crackdown.
Turkish authorities had detained 115 suspected ISIS members the previous week, alleging that they were preparing attacks targeting Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office reported that the suspects intended to carry out assaults against non Muslims.
Investigators noted that ISIS had previously been blamed for major attacks in Turkey nearly a decade ago, including the June 2016 strike at Istanbul’s main airport that killed 48 people.
Another high profile attack linked to the group was the Reina nightclub shooting on New Year’s Day 2017, which left 39 victims dead.
