Turkish police on Friday detained 38 foreigners in Istanbul for their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS), local media reported.

According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Turkey's counter-terrorism units launched simultaneous operations at 12 different locations in the city to capture the suspects who were believed to have been planning terror attacks.

Police also seized a large number of organizational documents and digital materials in the raids, the report added.

Over 300 people have lost their lives in the attacks over the years that were blamed on the IS.