25 detained in ISIL operation in Istanbul

Istanbul counter-terrorism police detained 25 people late on Sept. 11, including 22 foreigners, in an operation conducted on three addresses in the city's two districts targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). 

Of the detained 25 people, three were accused of planning attacks in Turkey, recruiting militants for the jihadist group and meeting their logistical needs. Many digital materials and documents were also seized in the operation. 

The detained people were then taken to the Istanbul police headquarters on Vatan Avenue for testimonies. 

The police also detained 22 foreign nationals at the raided address, who were believed to soon be going to Iraq and Syria to fight on behalf of ISIL. The police have initiated the relevant procedures to deport the 22 people.

The jihadist group has killed a total of 304 people in 14 major attacks in Turkey overall, according to a recent report prepared by the Interior Ministry. Three of the attacks were carried out in Istanbul and five of the others were in the southeastern provinces of Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep and the capital Ankara