After Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) claimed responsibility for the suicide attack near the office of the Turkish Interior Ministry in Ankara on Sunday, Turkey's warplane targeted Kurdish militants in northern Iraq.
Turkey's defence ministry stated that at least 20 PKK bases were “destroyed” in the latest aerial operation, including caves, shelters and depots. It added that several PKK operatives were “neutralised” in the airstrikes targeting bases in Gara, Hakurk, Metina and Qandil.
A CCTV footage obtained by Reuters on Sunday showed a light commercial vehicle, which was seized from a veterinarian in the central province of Kayseri, pulling up near the Interior Ministry's main gate. A man can be seen quickly making his way towards the building before the explosive on his body detonated. Another occupant was gunned down in a shooting while two police personnel were also injured in the blast.
PKK said the attack was carried out by “a team of ours linked to our Immortals Battalion” group, Al Jazeera reported citing ANF news agency.
“Our heroic police officers, through their intuition, resisted the terrorists as soon as they got out of the vehicle,” AP quoted Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya as saying. “One of them blew himself up, while the other one was shot in the head before he had a chance to blow himself up. Our fight against terrorism, their collaborators, the (drug) dealers, gangs and organized crime organizations will continue with determination."
The attack happened hours before Turkey’s Parliament reopened after its three-month summer recess. All parliamentarians, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were expected to attend the session.
The parliament convened as planned and Erdogan during his speech called the attack “the last stand of terrorism.” “The scoundrels who targeted the peace and security of the citizens could not achieve their goals and they never will,” the Turkish president said.
