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Turkish security forces detained 19 people in simultaneous raids across 12 Istanbul districts targeting the Daesh terrorist organization, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Terror Crimes Investigation Bureau identified 20 suspects with connections to conflict zones as part of an ongoing investigation into Daesh activities.
Authorities assessed 10 of the suspects as "foreign terrorist fighters" who pose a threat to Türkiye.
Nine others were found to have connections with pro-Daesh individuals, had shared Daesh-related content on social media, and used applications for the organization's current propaganda activities and organizational communications.
Police launched simultaneous operations at 21 addresses across Istanbul's 12 districts following the prosecutor's detention order.
While 19 suspects were captured, search efforts continue for one fugitive suspect.
Terrorist group Daesh has carried out numerous deadly attacks in Türkiye since 2014, including four suicide bombings in Istanbul, three in the capital Ankara, and three in the southeastern provinces of Gaziantep and Sanliurfa.
The deadliest attack occurred on Oct. 10, 2015, when Daesh suicide bombers struck Ankara's central train station, killing over 100 people and seriously injuring 391.
Another major attack on June 28, 2016, saw three Daesh suicide bombers assault Istanbul's Ataturk Airport with heavy weapons, resulting in 45 deaths and 163 serious injuries.
The terror group's campaign against Türkiye began on March 20, 2014, when Daesh attacked Turkish gendarmerie and police during patrols in Nigde province, killing two officials and one civilian.
Notable attacks in Istanbul include:
Daesh has repeatedly targeted Türkiye's southeastern regions, including:
The terrorist group also targeted Turkish interests abroad, kidnapping Consul Ozturk Yilmaz and 49 staff members from Türkiye's Consulate in Mosul, Iraq, on June 11, 2014.
They were later rescued in a Turkish operation.
Two anti-Daesh Al Jazeera correspondents were killed by the group in southeastern Türkiye in 2015: Mohamed El Sarkat on April 10 in Gaziantep and Naji Jerf on Dec. 28 in Sanliurfa.
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