Six Islamic State militants and 3 police officers killed in clash in northwest Turkey

Islamic State militants clashed with police in northwest Turkey on Monday, Dec 29, leaving three police officers and six militants dead, Turkey’s interior minister said. At least eight other police officers and a night guard were wounded.
The shooting occurred in Elmali district in Yalova province, south of Istanbul, as police stormed a house where the militants were hiding. Special forces from neighboring Bursa province were dispatched to reinforce the operation. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the operation in Yalova was one out of more than 100 simultaneous raids carried out against IS suspects in 15 provinces across the country.
The operation in Yalova was carried out with “great care” because women and children were inside the house where the militants were located, Yerlikaya said. All five women and six children were safely evacuated from the house, he said. All of the militants were Turkish nationals, the minister told reporters.
The operation began at around 2 a.m. local time and was officially completed at 9:40 a.m, he added.
Meanwhile, the Yalova Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation, assigning five prosecutors to lead the probe, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on the X social media platform.
He said five people have been taken into custody as part of the investigation, without providing further information on the suspects.