Turkey says it foiled ISIS attack on Istanbul synagogues, churches

Turkey's interior minister said that 29 people have been detained over suspected links to the Islamic State, thwarting attacks on Jewish and Christian places of worship in Istanbul.
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Special forces members of the Turkish police secure the area near the Interior Ministry following a bomb attack in Ankara on Oct. 1, 2023. - ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

ANKARA — Turkish security forces detained 29 individuals over suspected links to the Islamic State, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Friday. The people were allegedly planning attacks on synagogues and churches in Istanbul. 

Yerlikaya said the suspects were rounded up in raids in nine provinces including in Istanbul and the capital Ankara as part of an operation dubbed "Heroes-37." 

He added the joint operation by Turkish police and the National Intelligence Agency was put together after the authorities established that the suspects were carrying out reconnaissance activities in synagogues and churches in Istanbul.  

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