Turkey Detains 115 IS Suspects in Raids to Stop Holiday Attacks

Officials say they got a tip about threat, especially to non-Muslims
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Dec 25, 2025 4:04 PM CST
Turkey Detains 115 IS Suspects in Raids to Stop Holiday Attacks
A woman takes a selfie amid Christmas lights in Istanbul on Wednesday.   (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Istanbul police launched scores of simultaneous raids on Thursday, detaining over a hundred suspected members of the militant Islamic State group who authorities said were planning attacks against Christmas and New Year's celebrations, authorities said. A statement from the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office said police were tipped off that the extremist group had called for action—particularly against non-Muslims—during the celebrations, the AP reports. The office had issued warrants for 137 suspects, of whom 115 were detained. Officers reportedly seized many firearms, cartridges, and documents during the raid on 124 locations, officials said.

The arrests come days after the Trump administration launched widespread military strikes in neighboring Syria to "eliminate" Islamic State fighters and weapons' sites in retaliation for an ambush blamed on the group that killed two US troops and an American civilian interpreter. Syrian security forces have also launched operations against IS in recent days, including two raids on the outskirts of Damascus, the Syrian capital. In those raids, Syrian officials said Taha al-Zoubi, identified as the IS leader in the Damascus area, was captured and Mohammed Shahadeh, a senior IS commander in Syria, was killed.

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