ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities have apprehended 33 individuals suspected of having ties to the Islamic State group. These arrests were made in connection to alleged plans for attacks leading up to the upcoming local elections in the country later this month, as announced by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Sunday.

The suspects were apprehended while in the midst of preparations and actively seeking opportunities ahead of the local elections, as disclosed by Yerlikaya on social media platform X. The national elections are set to take place on March 31.

During raids carried out by counter-terrorism units in Sakarya, located in northwest Turkey, authorities seized weapons, money, and organizational documents.

“We will not tolerate any form of terrorism. Our security forces will continue to combat this threat relentlessly,” declared Yerlikaya.

Yerlikaya further revealed that the network was involved in sending individuals to conflict zones and providing financial backing to the Islamic State. Their operations were reportedly being conducted from illegal mosques and religious schools.

Turkey has faced numerous attacks attributed to the Islamic State over the past decade, including a shooting at a church in Istanbul in January that resulted in a fatality.

The group was also linked to the deadliest attack in the country’s history, where more than 100 individuals lost their lives during a peace rally in Ankara in October 2015.