Turkey launched airstrikes last Saturday night against “terrorist” positions “in northern Syria and northern Iraq”, after the death of twelve members of its armed forces in two days, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced.

The twelve soldiers were killed in two separate attacks against Turkish military bases yesterday Friday and yesterday Saturday in northern Iraq, according to the ministry.

In a statement posted on its website, the ministry stated that “29 targets, including caves, underground shelters, shelters, oil facilities and warehouses, were destroyed” in the operation, which was launched “at 22:00” (21:00 Greek time) .

An AFP correspondent and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported last night strikes against two oil facilities in northeastern Syria, not far from the border with Turkey, without mentioning any casualties.

Earlier on Saturday night, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the death of “six of our heroic comrades (…) who were martyred in a battle with terrorists as they attempted to infiltrate a base in the area.”

And yesterday morning, Ankara announced that six more soldiers were killed in northern Iraq during an attack the day before Friday attributed to the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), a Kurdish separatist movement designated a “terrorist” organization by Turkey and its Western allies.

According to Turkish media, the bases that were the target of attacks the day before yesterday and yesterday are located in Hakurk and Zap.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced yesterday that the military would launch retaliatory operations against “terrorists” in northern Iraq and Syria. “The evil separatists will give an account for the blood they spilled,” he stressed.

“We will continue to resolutely implement our strategy, aiming to eliminate terrorism at its source, until the last terrorist is eliminated,” he added.

The Turkish military reported that 13 PKK fighters were “neutralized”.

The Turkish military frequently conducts ground and air operations against PKK militants or bases in northern Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan and the Sinjar mountain range.

Turkey has for 25 years established dozens of military bases in Iraqi Kurdistan as part of its war against the PKK, which also has rear bases in the region.

The PKK, which has been waging an armed struggle against the Turkish state since 1984, claimed responsibility in October for an attack on the headquarters of the interior ministry, in which two police officers were injured.