Three Turkish police officers were killed and eight injured when suspected ISIS militants opened fire during an overnight raid in Elmalik, Yalova province, about 100 km from Istanbul. Officials said the more-than-seven-hour operation left six suspected ISIS members dead and five people detained; five women and six children were evacuated from the site. Justice authorities have launched an investigation and assigned five state prosecutors, while security forces say raids have been stepped up ahead of year-end holidays amid intelligence of planned attacks targeting minorities.
Three Turkish Police Killed in Yalova Raid by Suspected ISIS Militants as Authorities Intensify Holiday Security
Turkish special forces leave the site where an operation was carried out Monday targeting a house believed to contain suspected Islamic State militants in Yalova province, Turkey. - Umit Bektas/Reuters
Three Turkish police officers were killed and eight others wounded after suspected ISIS militants opened fire during an overnight raid in the western province of Yalova on Monday, officials said. The operation took place in the village of Elmalik, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Istanbul.
Authorities reported that the clearance operation lasted more than seven hours. Security forces said six suspected ISIS members were killed and five people were detained at the site, which investigators described as a suspected ISIS safehouse.
Social media footage showed a nighttime gunbattle as police entered the property; later video captured smoke rising from the area and fire engines rushing to the scene. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the operation was conducted "with a great deal of care because there were women and children at the address." He added that five women and six children present at the location were evacuated to safety.
A general view of the house in Turkey's Yalova province where Turkish security forces launched an operation targeting suspected ISIS militants on Monday. - Umit Bektas/Reuters
State broadcasters reported that electricity and natural gas to Elmalik were cut during the raid, and local schools were canceled for the day while the operation continued.
Investigation and Broader Security Context
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation has been opened into the Elmalik operation and five state prosecutors have been assigned to the case. Yerlikaya also said that, over the past month, security forces detained 138 terror suspects and placed 97 under judicial control measures.
"Information was found that the ISIS armed terrorist organization was planning to carry out actions targeting our country, especially non-Muslim individuals, within the scope of the upcoming Christmas and New Year events," the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.
Turkey routinely mounts wide-ranging counterterrorism sweeps against ISIS and other groups it designates as terrorist organizations, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Authorities said raids are often intensified around year-end holidays following the 2017 Reina nightclub attack that killed 39 people. The most recent ISIS-linked attack in Turkey occurred in January 2024, when gunmen attacked a church in Istanbul, killing one person.
The scene in Elmalik remains under investigation and prosecutors continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses as security forces assess whether there are further threats tied to the same network.
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