Turkish police in deadly shootout with IS suspects

Two Turkish policemen and seven Islamic State suspects were killed in a shootout on Monday that has further rattled the increasingly polarised country just six days ahead of snap elections.

 Police are hunting down IS militants after the suicide bombings that killed 102 people at a pro-Kurdish peace rally in the heart of the capital Ankara on October 10, the worst attack in Turkey's modern history.

 Monday's gun battle in the main southeastern Kurdish city of Diyarbakir was the first on Turkish soil between security forces and the jihadists since Ankara launched air strikes on IS targets in Syria in July.

 Fears of further bloodshed have overshadowed the run-up to Sunday's vote, with an IS cell reportedly plotting major attacks, while Kurdish rebels have taken up arms again after the collapse of the peace process.

 A police anti-terrorist squad launched dawn raids on several houses in Diyarbakir where militants were thought to be hiding out.

 The suspects opened fire and set off booby trap bombs, killing two police officers and injuring five, according to the Diyarbakir governor's office.

 Seven IS militants were killed and 12 arrested after at least two hours of heavy fighting, it said.