Turkey launches airstrikes on Kurdish targets in Iraq and Syria after deadly attack on defence company
- In Reports
- 05:04 PM, Oct 24, 2024
- Myind Staff
Turkey's air force has launched a series of airstrikes targeting Kurdish positions in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a deadly attack on the state-run defence company Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS). The attack on Wednesday claimed the lives of five people and wounded over 20.
On Thursday, the Ministry of National Defence reported that 47 targets were destroyed during the air raids, with Defence Minister Yasar Guler confirming that 29 targets in northern Iraq and 18 in northern Syria were struck. The Ministry said that "all kinds of precautions" were taken to avoid civilian casualties.
However, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said Turkish airstrikes killed 12 civilians, including two children, and injured 25 others in northern and eastern Syria. The SDF, which consists of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has been a crucial ally in the US-led fight against ISIL (ISIS). Turkey considers the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a key part of the SDF, to be closely linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it blames for the attack on TUSAS.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that Turkish investigators had identified one of the attackers as a PKK member, codenamed "Rojger," while continuing efforts to identify his female accomplice. Defence Minister Guler vowed that Turkish forces would pursue the PKK "until the last terrorist is eliminated."
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and there has been no official statement from the PKK. The attack occurred shortly after remarks by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli suggesting that PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan could be granted parole if he disbands the organisation and renounces violence.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a "heinous terrorist act." Iraq’s embassy in Ankara also denounced the attack and reaffirmed Iraq’s position against terrorism.
Turkey regularly conducts airstrikes against PKK positions in Iraq and Syrian groups affiliated with the PKK. TUSAS, a key defence company producing UAVs, has been instrumental in Turkey’s fight against Kurdish militants.
Despite Turkey’s military response, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Party (DEM) condemned the TUSAS attack and noted it came at a time when hopes for dialogue to end the conflict had emerged.
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