Six ISIL fighters, 3 police officers killed in northwest Turkiye raid

Al Jazeera:

Six ISIL (ISIS) fighters have been killed in a shootout in northwest Turkiye that also left three police officers dead, the Turkish Interior Ministry has said.

In a speech on Monday, Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya said that security forces carried out 108 separate overnight raids on alleged ISIL hideouts across 13 provinces.

One of the raids took place at 2am on Monday (23:00 GMT on Sunday) at a home in Yalova province’s Elmalik village, located south of Istanbul in a residential neighbourhood.

Fire was exchanged when officers raided the home, Yerlikaya said, resulting in the deaths of the three officers and the six alleged ISIL fighters. Eight policemen and one night watchman were also wounded.

Five women and six children were safely evacuated from the house during the raid, the minister said.

Special forces from nearby Bursa province joined the operation to provide support, including enacting ongoing security measures in the area.

Residents and vehicles were not allowed into the area surrounding the targeted home, broadcaster TRT Haber reported earlier, while the Yalova governorate also suspended classes at five nearby schools.