ISTANBUL, Dec 22 — Turkish authorities have detained 304 people allegedly affiliated with Islamic State jihadists after launching a sweeping operation against the group, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said today.

Police carried out simultaneous raids in 32 cities including Istanbul as part of the operation, dubbed HEROES-34.

Eighty-six suspects were detained in Istanbul alone, Yerlikaya said in a social media post.

"We will continue to fight against terrorism with determination until the last terrorist is neutralised,” he said.

IS extremists have carried out a string of attacks on Turkish soil, including against a nightclub in Istanbul in 2017 that left 39 people dead. — AFP