ISTANBUL, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces on Saturday arrested three suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) in the eastern province of Malatya, as authorities intensified counterterrorism operations amid heightened security alerts during the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

The Malatya Provincial Police Department said the operation was jointly carried out by counterterrorism and intelligence units as part of ongoing efforts to uncover IS-linked activities and prevent potential attacks.

Authorities said the three suspects were found to have been actively involved in IS-related activities and were subsequently remanded in custody by a local court following interrogation.

The arrests came as Türkiye ramped up nationwide security measures after intelligence warnings pointed to possible IS attacks targeting crowded public areas during the holiday season.

On Friday, another suspect, Ibrahim Burtakucin, was detained in Malatya for allegedly preparing an attack during the New Year period. He was found to have been in contact with multiple IS sympathizers both within Türkiye and abroad and was seeking opportunities to carry out an attack.

The Malatya operations followed a large-scale counterterrorism sweep in Istanbul on Thursday, during which Turkish police detained 115 suspected IS members.

Türkiye officially designated the IS group as a terrorist organization in 2013. ■