PKK claims attack on Turkish hub; Ankara hits Iraq, Syria in retaliation

Shafaq News/ On Friday, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) claimed responsibility for the armed assault on the Turkish Aerospace and Aviation Complex in the Kahraman Kazan district of Ankara. The attack, which took place on Wednesday, targeted the sprawling industrial facility in Turkiye's capital.

In a statement, the PKK said, "The operation was carried out by a group named the Martyrs’ Battalion (Tabour al-Khaledeen), affiliated with the PKK, and executed by two members identified as Asia Ali and Rojkar Helen."

Following Wednesday’s assault, Turkish forces launched a series of airstrikes on PKK positions in northern Iraq and Syria, regions where the PKK, deemed a terrorist organization by Ankara, has a significant presence.

On Friday, a security source confirmed that Turkish warplanes intensified their raids, specifically targeting PKK tunnel networks, headquarters, and military outposts, as well as locations held by the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) allied with the PKK.

The strikes spanned areas including Mount Sinjar, the Bara region, and Mount Mera in Iraq’s Nineveh province, and extended to positions along the Syrian border. Turkiye also hit the densely populated Nasr district in the city center.

According to the source, the assault killed five YBS members amid the escalated strikes, marking a heightened phase in the longstanding Turkish-PKK conflict impacting the region’s stability.