101 IS suspects detained in Turkey police raids

This file photo taken on January 02, 2017 shows a Turkish special force police officer standing guard at Ortakoy district near the Reina night club, in Istanbul, one day after the New Year gun attack, which left 39 people dead. The attack had been attributed to a jihadist who belongs to the extremist Islamic State (IS) group. (AFP FILE PHOTO)

ANKARA, Turkey — Police have detained 101 suspected militants of the Islamic State (IS) following a sweep in the capital, Ankara, the state-run news agency of Turkey reported on Thursday.

Anadolu Agency said authorities have detention warrants for 144 other IS suspects.

Some 1,500 officers from the police’s anti-terror and intelligence units took part in the early morning raids at about 250 addresses around Ankara, according to Anadalou.

Anadolu said some of the suspects were members of a local group that allegedly “sponsored” IS. But it did not provide further details.

Last month, police detained dozens of IS suspects allegedly planning an attack during a national holiday.

Turkey has suffered a series of bloody attacks blamed on IS militants, including a New Year attack at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people.  /kga