ISTANBUL — Turkish authorities have arrested on Thursday more than 100 suspected members of the so-called Islamic State group believed to have been plotting attacks on non-Muslims.

The Istanbul chief prosecutor's office ⁠said police obtained information that members of the terrorist group were plotting attacks on non-Muslims in particular during the Christmas and New Year celebrations in Turkey.

Police arrested 115 suspects in a series of raids ⁠across ‌Istanbul.

Mass raids were carried out at 124 addresses across Istanbul, the city's chief prosecutor said, with firearms, ammunition and "organisational documents" seized. Efforts are ongoing to trace a further 22.

Some of the suspects were already wanted on terrorism charges at national and international levels, the prosecutor's office said.

The arrests come days after Turkish authorities conducted a major intelligence-led operation at the Afghan-Pakistan border and captured a Turkish citizen accused of having a senior position in ISIS.

The prosecutor's office said the suspects were in contact with IS operatives outside Turkey.

The announcement comes two days after Turkish intelligence agents carried out a raid against the group on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

A Turkish national who is alleged to have held a senior role with the IS wing operating in the region was detained and accused of planning attacks against civilians.

Turkey's security services regularly target people with suspected links to IS.

The country shares a 900km (560 mile) border with Syria, where the group continues to operate in parts of the country.

Syria's president Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has close ties to the Turkish government, has vowed to work with the US and Europe to root out surviving elements of IS.

The US launched a wave of air strikes against the group's positions across Syria on Friday in response to the killing of three Americans.

Two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed by IS gunmen during an ambush earlier this month. — Agencies