Turkish warplanes conducted airstrikes in northern Iraq on Tuesday, targeting suspected Kurdish militant sites. This comes in the wake of a recent suicide attack in the Turkish capital of Ankara. The defense ministry stated that 16 targets, including caves, shelters, and depots, used by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were hit in the operation. The aim was to protect Turkey's borders and prevent further terror attacks. This marks the second cross-border aerial operation against PKK targets since the attack in Ankara. In addition to the airstrikes, police carried out raids across Turkey, resulting in the detention of almost 1,000 people.

These arrests included dozens of individuals with alleged links to Kurdish militants. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that 55 people suspected of being part of the PKK's intelligence structure were detained in 16 provinces. Another 12 suspected PKK members were rounded up in a separate operation in five provinces. The interior minister also disclosed that an additional 928 people, suspected of holding unlicensed firearms or being connected to firearms smuggling, were arrested during the operation. More than 840 firearms were confiscated as well.

The PKK, which has led a decades-long insurgency in Turkey, claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. The group is considered a terror organization by the United States and the European Union. Tens of thousands of people have died since the conflict began in 1984. The 73-year-old news anchor, Aysenur Arslan, was briefly detained after questioning the official account of the attack. Media freedoms in Turkey have come under scrutiny during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's tenure, with international monitors noting that media outlets critical of the government face fines or blackouts.

The suicide bombing occurred near the entrance of the Interior Ministry just before President Erdogan was set to address Parliament as it returned from its summer recess. Two police officers were slightly wounded in the attack. The suspects arrived at the scene in a vehicle they seized from a veterinarian in the central Turkish city of Kayseri after fatally shooting him. The recent airstrikes and raids are part of Turkey's ongoing efforts to combat Kurdish militants and maintain border security. The country's authorities continue to crack down on individuals suspected of involvement with the PKK and those associated with illegal firearms. The situation highlights the ongoing conflict between the Turkish government and Kurdish militants in the region.