Turkish police detain 17 IS suspects in Istanbul

Turkish police

ISTANBUL, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police detained on Monday at least 17 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Istanbul, local media reported, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

The Istanbul Police Department's Counter-Terrorism Unit teams raided 17 addresses across the city simultaneously to capture the suspects, Anadolu said.

The suspects have been allegedly carrying out activities on behalf of the IS and having links with its members in Syria, it added.

On Sunday, at least 19 other suspects were detained in separate operations conducted in the southern province of Adana and southwestern Mugla, according to the Hurriyet daily.

Police also seized several unlicensed weapons, 500 grams of explosives, and some organizational documents and digital materials during the raids.

The IS was blamed for a series of deadly attacks in Turkey since 2015.