Turkey has launched a series of "punishment" airstrikes against dozens of suspected Kurdish militant sites in Syria and Iraq following a deadly attack on an arms company headquarters yesterday.
Yasar Guler, Turkey's defence minister, blamed Kurdish guerrilla group PKK for the attack.
In response, the National Intelligence Organisation launched strikes on strategic locations, including military, intelligence, and infrastructure facilities.
The assault on Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) near Ankara yesterday left five people dead and 22 injured.
Turkey is continuing with its onslaught against Kurdish militantsREUTERSTwo attackers, a man and a woman, were killed in a shoot-out with authorities following the terror attack.
The Turkish defence ministry claimed over 30 targets were destroyed in its aerial offensive, with armed drones also reportedly being used in the operation.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces claimed that Turkish airstrikes killed 12 civilians, including two children, in northeastern Syria. A further 25 people sustained injuries.
The US-backed force stated that warplanes and drones targeted bakeries, power stations, oil facilities and Kurdish security checkpoints.
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A general view of the entrance of the headquarters of Turkey's aviation company TUSAS
REUTERS
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was informed of the developments while travelling to Kazan to meet Russian President Valdimir
Guler vowed to continue Turkey's pursuit of the PKK, stating, "We give these PKK scoundrels the punishment they deserve every time, but they never come to their senses."
Turkish media claimed one of the attackers matched the identity of a known PKK member who was born in 1992.
The assailants reportedly arrived by taxi, detonated a bomb killing the driver, and breached security before being shot dead.
The attack on TAI comes amid Turkey's ongoing conflict with Kurdish groups, particularly the PKK.
Turkish forces have been bombarding PKK positions in northern Iraq, claiming to have significantly weakened the group.
CCTV shows an attacker firing a gun inside the buildingREUTERSHowever, Erdogan's coalition partner Devlet Bahceli called for a deal offering the PKK's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan a reduced sentence in exchange for disbanding the organisation.
Previous peace talks collapsed in 2015 and both sides remain strongly opposed to a deal.
Erdogan's latest onslaught comes after Turkey was hoping to improve Nato ties after years of tension.
However, Ankara is also hoping to maintain a dialogue with Russia while staying in the defence bloc's good books.
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte tweeted support for Turkey, condemning terrorism "in all its forms".
Smoke could be seen rising outside the facility as emergency services gathered at the sceneGETTYThe attack on TAI, a key player in Turkey's aerospace industry, highlights the ongoing security challenges faced by the country.
TAI employs over 15,000 people and develops crucial military technology, including drones used in operations against Kurdish groups.
While PKK now emerges as Erdogan's primary focus, Turkey has also faced threats from Islamic State and left-wing militant groups in recent years.
The participation of a female attacker without a headscarf, as suggested by video evidence, is atypical for Islamic State operations.
