IS child training camps in Istanbul

An armed Turkish police officers have doubled their efforts lately. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Children have been lectured in Istanbul on “the basics of the ideology of Islamic State (IS) group as well as “how to live in an Islamic state”, according to Turkish media reports.

In an operation led by Istanbul Police Department Counterterrorism Bureau assisted by the special ops, the counterterrorism police raided 13 locations in Pendik and five different addresses in a luxury residence compound in the Kayaşehir neighborhood.

53 Uzbek and Tajik nationals were detained in the operations, of whom 24 were under the age of 18. The 29 adults were taken to the Counterterrorism Bureau at the Istanbul Aksaray Police Station for questioning. The 24 juveniles were taken to the Pendik Police Department Juvenile Bureau. Police are investigating claims that the children were to be sent to join IS.

Earlier surveillance by the counterterrorism bureau reportedly revealed that the Uzbeks and Tajiks had rented out basements, particularly in the Pendik area, and converted them into training camps. The children had received education at special schools, where they were taught about the Islamic State and trained as to how they would live after moving to IS territory.

According to local media, the searches of the homes also uncovered maps of the battle grounds in Syria and Iraq to which the group would have relocated, as well as documents pertaining to their contacts.

The Uzbekistan Islamic Movement, an offshoot of al-Qaeda that usually operates around the Afghan border, declared its allegiance to IS last August. At the time, Uzbek intelligence reported that over 5,000 Uzbek nationals were fighting in the ranks of IS in Syria.

Turkish anti-terror police doubled their efforts after the twin blasts that occurred earlier this month in the capital, Ankara.