December 29, 2017•Update: December 29, 2017
By Hamdi Celikbas, Halil Demir, Durmus Genc and Mustafa Guclu
ANKARA
Turkish police arrested more than 75 people nationwide for suspected links to the Daesh terror group, police sources said.
Counter-terrorism police conducted a series of dawn raids across the capital Ankara, detaining 29 people, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
The raids came after Ankara prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 46 suspects, most of whom were reportedly foreign nationals.
Some of the suspects were believed to be preparing for a terror attack on New Year's celebrations, the source added.
A manhunt is underway to apprehend the other suspects, Ankara Governor Ercan Topaca told a press conference.
Separately, 46 suspects -- 43 of them foreign nationals -- were detained in Istanbul, a police source said.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said that the suspects held in Istanbul were also allegedly plotting an attack during New Year's festivities.
A large number of organizational documents and digital tools were seized during the raids in both cities.
Meanwhile, Turkish forces arrested two Daesh suspects in western Mugla and two others in the southeastern Sanliurfa provinces.
The suspects in Mugla were Syrian nationals, said a police source.
More than 300 people have lost their lives in Daesh-claimed attacks in Turkey, where the terror organization has targeted civilians in suicide bombings, and rocket and gun attacks.
Turkish security forces have been involved in a long-running campaign to thwart Daesh attacks.
