Turkey detains 29 people with suspected Islamic State ties planning attacks, says minister

ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities have detained 29 people suspected of having ties to militant group Islamic State in operations across nine provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday.

Suspects captured in "Operation Heroes-37" on Friday were planning to attack churches and synagogues in Istanbul, Yerlikaya said on social media platform X.

Citing security sources, Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said three other suspects linked to the 29 detainees had been captured in the operations as well. It said the three were senior members of Islamic State, and added that one was planning an attack on the Iraqi Embassy in Ankara.

Anadolu did not provide any further details on the suspects or the operations.

Authorities have ramped up operations against Islamic State and Kurdish militants in recent weeks, after Kurdish militants detonated a bomb near government buildings in Ankara on Oct. 1.