Turkish Police Officers Injured in Clash with ISIL Fighters

Attack in Elmalik Village, Yalova Province

Seven Turkish police officers were injured during a gunfire exchange while conducting an operation against suspected ISIL groups, local media reports. TRT Haber reported that police executed a raid on a residence in Elmalik village, located south of Istanbul, when the shooting occurred on Sunday.

The officers were not seriously injured, according to reports. It is not immediately clear if any suspects were injured or apprehended. Special forces from the nearby Bursa province joined the operation to provide support, including enforcing security measures in the area. Locals and vehicles were barred from entering the vicinity surrounding the targeted residence, and the Yalova government suspended classes at five nearby schools.

On Thursday, Turkish authorities announced that they had conducted raids in 124 locations, arresting 115 ISIL suspects. Police received information that operatives were "planning attacks in Turkey against non-Muslims, in particular" during the holiday season, as stated by the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office. Additionally, U.S. military forces launched extensive strikes against ISIL in central and northeastern Syria earlier this month, targeting over 70 sites. These strikes occurred a week after two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in an attack in the Syrian city of Palmyra. Turkey, which shares a border with Syria, has intensified its efforts against ISIL in recent years. Turkish authorities claim that some ISIL operatives relocated to the country in 2019 after the group was defeated in regions of Iraq and Syria that it previously controlled.

Previous raids in March led to the capture of nearly 300 ISIL suspects across 47 provinces within a two-week span. Between 2013 and 2023, authorities have arrested over 19,000 individuals for suspected affiliations with the group, according to the Turkish presidency.