Turkey launches AIRSTRIKES on Northern regions of Syria and Iraq after Istanbul explosion

'Turkey launches AIRSTRIKES on Northern regions of Syria and Iraq after Istanbul explosion'

Turkey launched airstrikes over northern regions of Syria and Iraq, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Sunday, targeting Kurdish groups that Ankara holds responsible for last week's bomb attack in Istanbul.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, reported that the strikes had also hit Syrian army positions and that at least 12 had been killed, including SDF and Syrian soldiers.

The observatory said about 25 airstrikes were carried out by Turkish warplanes on sites in the countryside of Aleppo, Raqqa and Hasakah.

The ministry cited Turkey's right to self defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter in launching an operation it called Claw-Sword late Saturday night.

The Kurdish militant groups have, however, have denied involvement.