Turkish air strikes target Kurdish militants in Syria, Iraq after bomb attack - Reuters

ISTANBUL, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Turkish warfare planes carried retired aerial strikes connected Kurdish militant bases successful bluish Syria and bluish Iraq connected Sunday, destroying 89 targets, Turkey's defence ministry said, successful retaliation for a weaponry onslaught successful Istanbul that killed six radical 1 week ago.

The strikes targeted bases of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Turkey says is simply a helping of the PKK, the ministry added successful a statement.

Ankara has blamed Kurdish militants for the blast connected Istanbul's Istiklal Avenue connected Nov. 13 that killed six radical and injured much than 80. No radical has claimed work for connected the engaged pedestrian avenue, and the PKK and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) person denied involvement.

The strikes were carried retired successful Qandil, Asos and Hakurk successful Iraq and Kobani, Tal Rifat, Cizire and Derik successful Syria, the ministry said.

The 89 targets destroyed included shelters, tunnels and ammunition depots, it said, adding that "so-called directors of the violent organisation were among those neutralised".

A spokesperson for the SDF said that the Turkish strikes had destroyed infrastructure including atom silos, a powerfulness presumption and a hospital. Eleven civilians, including a journalist, died, said Farhad Shami, caput of the SDF media centre connected Twitter.

The SDF said successful a connection they would retaliate for the strikes. "These attacks by the Turkish occupied forces volition not spell without a response," it said.

Separately, a Syrian subject root told authorities media SANA that a fig of servicemen had been killed successful "Turkish aggression connected Syrian land" connected Sunday morning, successful the countryside adjacent bluish Aleppo and Hasaka.

Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said successful a connection that each indispensable measures were taken to debar harm to guiltless radical and the surroundings, adding that "only and lone terrorists and structures belonging to terrorists were targeted."

"The claw of our Turkish Armed Forces was erstwhile again connected apical of terrorists," helium added, dubbing the cognition "Claw Sword."

A Turkish authoritative said connected Tuesday Ankara plans to prosecute targets successful bluish Syria aft it completes a cross-border cognition against the PKK militants successful Iraq.

"It is clip to springiness relationship for Istiklal," Turkish statesmanlike spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin wrote connected Twitter connected Sunday.

Turkey has conducted 3 incursions truthful acold into bluish Syria against the YPG militia. President Tayyip Erdogan has antecedently said Turkey could behaviour different cognition against the YPG. Ankara has besides escalated drone strikes successful Syria successful caller months, sidesplitting a fig of cardinal SDF officials.

Ankara regularly carries retired aerial strikes successful bluish Iraq and has sent commandos to enactment its offensives arsenic portion of a long-running run against the PKK successful Iraq.

The PKK has led an insurgency against the Turkish authorities since 1984. It is considered a violent organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Washington has allied with the YPG successful the combat against Islamic State successful Syria, causing a rift with NATO state Turkey.

Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen successful Istanbul, Suleiman Al-Khalidi successful Amman, Nafisa Eltahir, Yasmin Hussein successful Cairo, Kinda Makieh successful Damascus; Writing by Mahmoud Mourad; Editing by Chris Reese and Raissa Kasolowsky

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