Turkish police have detained dozens of suspected Islamic State militants in a series of dawn raids, including some believed to be planning attacks on New Year’s Eve, as the authorities strengthened security measures ahead of the celebrations.

The unprecedented mobilisation of police patrols and the arrests of terror suspects in Istanbul and Ankara were aimed at preventing a repeat of last year’s midnight assault on a nightclub on the Bosphorus, in which 39 people died when a militant opened fire on revellers. Street celebrations have been cancelled across Istanbul as a result of what authorities say are security concerns. “We have taken all precautions for our citizens to spend the New Year’s Eve in the best way possible,” said the Istanbul governor, Vasip Şahin. “We have also warned entertainment venues which have their own security personnel to take precautions.” Seventy-five suspected Isis members were arrested in the country’s two largest cities, Istanbul and Ankara, on the second day of sweeping raids across 12 provinces. On Thursday another 120 suspected members of the terror group were arrested.(theguardian)…[+]