Turkish airstrikes destroy targets in Iraq, Syria after terror attack on aerospace firm

The Turkish air force on Wednesday (October 23) launched a counterattack on Kurdish militant hideouts in Iraq and Syria in retaliation to the attack on Turkey’s aviation company TUSAS in which five were killed and several injured.

In a statement, the Turkish Defence Ministry said the air force destroyed over 30 targets in the offensive.

Also read: Turkey terror attack: Three people killed after explosion in Ankara

Five people were killed and 22 others were injured when suspected Kurdish militants on Wednesday detonated explosives and fired at the headquarters of TUSAS, Turkey’s aerospace and defence company in Kahramankazan, around 40 km north of Ankara.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that the two attackers – a man and a woman – were neutralised.

Turkey blames Kurdistan Workers’ Party for attack

The minister said that Turkey suspects the hand of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the attack while adding that further investigation to identify the attackers is underway.

“We give these PKK scoundrels the punishment they deserve every time. But they never come to their senses...We will pursue them until the last terrorist is eliminated,” Turkey’s defence minister Yasar Guler said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdgan who was at the BRICS summit in Russia, condemned the attack calling it a “heinous” one.

Also read: Bomb threat: Vistara sending substitute plane to fly passengers stuck at Turkish airport "The terrorist attack against TAI (another name for TUSAS), one of the locomotive organisations of the Turkish defense industry, is a vile attack targeting the survival of our country, the peace of our nation, and our defense initiatives that are the symbol of our ‘Fully Independent Turkey’ ideal," he said on X.

No terrorist organisation has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

New visuals show attack

New footage of the attack shows the two assailants in black attire carrying bags and opening fire with what looks like assault rifles. Another video showed a huge explosion at the TUSAS headquarters.

A report by NTV said a group of terrorists had also barged into a building and that one of them blew himself up.