ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey continued its military operations against suspected Kurdish militant positions in Syria and Iraq on Thursday for the second consecutive day. This escalation follows an attack on the facilities of TUSAS, a significant defense contractor, which resulted in the deaths of at least five individuals, according to reports from the state-run news agency.
The National Intelligence Organization has involved in pinpointing various “strategic locations” connected to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its affiliated Syrian Kurdish militia. The Anadolu Agency reported that these operations targeted military installations, intelligence hubs, energy assets, and munitions depots. A security official confirmed that armed drones were deployed during the airstrikes conducted on Thursday.
On Wednesday, air force operations had already commenced, targeting similar sites in northern Syria and northern Iraq shortly after government officials linked the assault on TUSAS to the PKK. The Turkish defense ministry stated that more than 30 sites were eliminated during these aerial bombardments.
The assault on TUSAS involved two attackers, a man and a woman, who arrived at the site in a taxi they had hijacked after fatally shooting the driver. Armed with assault rifles, they detonated explosives and opened fire, leading to the deaths of four individuals at the facility, including a security guard and a mechanical engineer.
Security forces were mobilized quickly, responding to the attack that unfolded around 3:30 pm local time, as noted by the interior minister. Both assailants were killed in the confrontation, with over 20 others reported injured during the incident.
There has been no immediate commentary from the PKK regarding either the attack or Turkey’s subsequent airstrikes.
TUSAS specializes in designing, manufacturing, and assembling both civilian and military aircraft, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles alongside other defense-related and aerospace technologies. Its advancements have been crucial in enhancing Turkey’s military capabilities against Kurdish militant groups.
Interestingly, the attack on TUSAS coincided with statements from the leader of Turkey’s far-right nationalist party, an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He floated the idea that Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned head of the PKK, could be considered for parole should he opt to renounce violence and disband his organization.
The PKK has engaged in a struggle for autonomy in southeastern Turkey for decades, leading to a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s. The group is labeled a terrorist organization by both Turkey and its Western allies.