Turkey nabs 34 foreign suspects over links to IS

At least 34 foreign nationals have been arrested over their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in an operation across seven provinces in Turkey, official sources said.

Taking to X, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that the suspects, including some wanted with an Interpol red notice, were arrested in "Cage-35" anti-terror operations carried out simultaneously in the provinces of Istanbul, Kocaeli, Yalova, Kayseri, Bursa, Duzce, and Yozgat,

During operations, unauthorised firearms, a significant amount of foreign currency, and digital materials were also seized, Yerlikaya was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

The operations came after two masked gunmen, one from Tajikistan and the other from Russia, opened fire last Sunday on worshippers at the Santa Maria Church in Istanbul's Sariyer district, killing one person.

The two foreign nationals arrested were believed to be IS members, Yerlikaya said a day later.

Turkey listed IS as a terrorist group in 2013.