Turkey has launched airstrikes against Kurdish militant targets in Syria and Iraq. It retaliating for a deadly attack on a defense firm near Ankara. It marked the latest escalation in the Turkey-Kurdish Conflict. The attack on Tusaş, Turkey’s national aerospace company, occurred on Wednesday. It claimed lives of five people, including a security personnel member and a mechanical engineer. Turkish officials blamed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for the assault.
The PKK, considered a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, has fought for autonomy in southeast Turkey since the 1980s, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. This ongoing Turkey-Kurdish Conflict has led to significant instability in the region.
In response to the attack, Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization targeted strategic locations used by the PKK and affiliated Syrian Kurdish militia. Armed drones struck various facilities, including military, intelligence, energy, and infrastructure targets, as well as ammunition depots.
The airstrikes also resulted in civilian casualties, with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reporting 12 deaths, including two children, and 25 injuries in northeast Syria. Turkish warplanes and drones targeted bakeries, power stations, oil facilities, and internal security checkpoints.
The conflict has been ongoing for decades, with the PKK seeking autonomy or independence for the Kurdish region. The recent airstrikes are part of Turkey’s continued efforts to suppress the militant group, amidst the Turkey-Kurdish Conflict ¹.
