Turkey's Response to Terror: Strikes in Syria and Iraq

Turkey's defense minister said the country struck suspected Kurdish militant targets in Syria and Iraq for a second straight day. These strikes followed a deadly attack on the capital's main defense company. The attack claimed the lives of five people and injured several others. Turkish officials blame the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for the assault. They say the targets hit included military bases, ammunition depots, and energy facilities owned by both the PKK and Syrian Kurdish militia. The attack on the defense company happened when two people, a man and a woman, arrived in a hijacked taxi. They had assault rifles and explosives. They killed four people at the company's offices before being stopped by security teams. Defense Minister Yasar Guler said the country will keep fighting terrorism until the last militant is gone. He added that Wednesday's airstrikes had destroyed 47 alleged PKK targets. In Syria, the U. S. -backed Syrian Democratic Forces said the Turkish strikes killed 12 civilians and wounded 25. They claimed that Turkish warplanes hit bakeries, power stations, and local police checkpoints. TUSAS, the targeted defense company, is a key player in Turkey's fight against Kurdish militants. It designs and makes military aircraft and drones. The attack came a day after a far-right nationalist leader suggested granting parole to the PKK's imprisoned leader if he renounces violence. The PKK has been fighting for autonomy in southeast Turkey for decades. This conflict has taken tens of thousands of lives. Turkey and its Western allies consider the PKK a terrorist group.