In a counterterrorism operation carried out by the Turkish police, 11 al-Qaeda members were captured with 22 kilograms of A4 explosives, after reportedly planning to stage terrorist attacks on targets in Istanbul, including the U.S. Consulate, a synagogue and a church, Today’s Zaman reported.

According to Tekirdağ Police Department, a person suspected of being linked to al-Qaeda had been tracked by police for two years. During this period, police found out that a group of al-Qaeda members had cell houses in the Çorlu district of Tekirdağ and the Büyülçekmece district of Istanbul.

Operation was launched after Tekirdağ police discovered that suspects had obtained a large amount of explosives in mid-February. Police raided nine houses in Çorlu and two in Büyükçekmece. A total of 11 people were captured with 22 kilograms of A4 explosives, five rifles, five handguns and maps showing the detailed location of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul along with a church and a synagogue in Istanbul’s Fatih district.