Three Turkish police officers were killed and nine others wounded during a counter-terrorism operation targeting suspected Islamic State (IS) militants in northwestern Turkey early Monday, authorities confirmed.
The deadly clash occurred as security forces intensified nationwide efforts to prevent possible attacks during the New Year holiday period.
The shootout erupted around 3 am local time when police raided a house in Elmalik village, roughly nine kilometres from the centre of Yalova province. The location was believed to be sheltering members of the Islamic State group. According to official statements, suspects opened fire as officers approached the building, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire.
Six suspected IS militants were killed during the operation, Turkish media reported. All injured officers were taken to Yalova Training and Research Hospital, where officials said none were in life-threatening condition.
Special operations teams from the neighbouring province of Bursa were deployed to reinforce security, while roads leading to the area were sealed off and classes were suspended at five nearby schools as a precaution.
The Yalova incident comes amid heightened counter-terrorism operations across Turkey following intelligence warnings of potential IS attacks targeting crowded public spaces during Christmas and New Year celebrations.
On December 25, Istanbul police detained 115 suspected IS members in coordinated raids across 124 locations. Authorities said arrest warrants were issued for 137 suspects, with efforts ongoing to capture the remaining individuals.
Turkish intelligence services have also stepped up operations abroad. On December 22, the National Intelligence Organisation captured Mehmet Gören, codenamed “Yahya,” near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Security sources described Gören as a senior figure within IS’s Khorasan branch, allegedly tasked with organising suicide attacks in Turkey and Europe. He was transferred to Turkey following his arrest.
Earlier this month, Ankara prosecutors detained 10 suspects accused of financing IS activities. Investigators said the group had funnelled money to militants and their families in Syrian conflict zones using coded bank transfers.
Separately, authorities in Malatya detained a suspect believed to be preparing a New Year attack, seizing digital materials and banned publications during a raid.
Turkey has previously suffered some of the deadliest IS attacks in the region. In October 2015, twin suicide bombings at a peace rally in Ankara killed at least 102 people, while a New Year’s Day attack on Istanbul’s Reina nightclub in 2017 left 39 dead. Between 2015 and 2017, IS-linked attacks also targeted Atatürk Airport, Suruç and Diyarbakır, killing hundreds.
As New Year celebrations approach, Turkish authorities say security measures will remain at the highest level nationwide to prevent any repeat of past tragedies.