Three Turkish policemen, 6 IS militants killed in clash: minister

ANKARA, Turkey: Three Turkish policemen were killed and nine other people wounded in an operation Monday against the Islamic State group in the northwest of the country, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

The fighting took place at Yalova on the Sea of Marmara during one of scores of raids against the militant group, the minister said, adding that six Islamic State members were killed.

“Three of our courageous police unfortunately lost their lives. Eight police and a security agent were also wounded,” he added.

Yerlikaya said that “simultaneous operations” were staged on 108 addresses in 15 provinces, including at Yalova at 2:00 am (2300 GMT Sunday).

“During this operation, IS terrorists opened fire on our courageous police,” he said.

According to the minister, the six IS operatives killed were all Turkish and five women and six children who were with them were all evacuated safely.

An Istanbul prosecutor last week ordered the detention of 137 suspected IS members following information that the group planned attacks during the end-of-year holidays.

Turkey has a 900-kilometer (560-mile) border with Syria and is wary of cross-frontier infiltrations by militants.

IS was recently accused of attacking Americans in Palmyra, killing two soldiers and an interpreter. Turkish intelligence also announced last week the arrest, “between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” of a suspected IS leader who was said to be planning suicide attacks in the region and Europe.