Seven Turkish police officers wounded in clash with Islamic State militants, media says

Seven Turkish police officers were wounded during a clash with suspected Islamic State militants in Yalova province in northwest Turkey on Monday (December 29), state broadcaster TRT Haber reported.

It said police teams had launched an operation on a house believed to contain militants near the town of Yalova, on the Sea of Marmara coast, south of Istanbul. The wounded police officers were not reported to be in a serious condition, it said.

Broadcaster NTV said the suspects had opened fire on the police as they launched the operation. Police special forces were sent to the area from Bursa province to provide support, it said. Shots were heard and seen in footage carried by local news agency IHA, showing police and ambulances at the scene of the operation.

Last week, Turkish police detained 115 suspected Islamic State members they said were planning to carry out attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country.

The Istanbul chief prosecutor's office said at the time that the militants were planning attacks against non-Muslims in particular.

Almost a decade ago, the jihadist group was blamed for a series of attacks on civilian targets in Turkey, including a gun attack on an Istanbul nightclub and on the city's main airport, that killed dozens of people.

Production: Ali Kucukgocmen/Reuters