Turkey arrested 49 alleged ISIS members on Saturday, some of whom were suspected of planning an attack on Turkey’s national holiday on Sunday, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

The arrests in the capital Ankara came a day before celebrations across the country for the 94th anniversary of Republic Day.

Turkish authorities issued warrants for 55 suspected foreign IS members, believing some were planning an attack on Republic Day, Anadolu reported without giving further details.

Turkey has been hit by several bloody attacks blamed on ISIS militants over the past two years, including a New Year attack this year on an elite Istanbul nightclub during which 39 people were killed by an ISIS gunman.

There has been a lull in attacks since, but tensions remain high and Turkish police launch raids almost daily against suspected IS cells across the country.

source: AFP