Nine Dead After Police Raid ISIL Hideout in Northwestern Turkiye

A violent shootout during a counter-terrorism raid in Turkiye’s northwestern Yalova province has left six ISIL (ISIS) fighters and three police officers dead. The confrontation occurred at 2:00 a.m. on Monday in the residential village of Elmalik, south of Istanbul. According to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, security forces encountered heavy fire while attempting to enter a suspected hideout. In addition to the fatalities, eight police officers and one night watchman were wounded during the exchange. All six of the killed militants were identified as Turkish citizens.

The Yalova operation was the most high-profile of 108 separate overnight raids conducted across 13 provinces to dismantle extremist sleeping cells. Despite the intense gunfire, five women and six children were safely evacuated from the home during the operation. Special forces from nearby Bursa province were deployed to secure the neighborhood, while local authorities suspended classes at five nearby schools and blocked all civilian access to the area.

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This surge in security activity follows intelligence reports indicating that ISIL operatives were planning attacks against non-Muslim communities during the holiday season. The Turkish government has significantly intensified its efforts against the group in recent years, arresting over 19,000 suspects in the last decade. Authorities believe many operatives relocated to Turkiye following the group’s territorial defeat in Iraq and Syria in 2019.

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