Turkey confirms deadly airstrikes in Syria and Iraq targeting Kurdish groups

Strikes launched in retaliation for Istanbul bombing target terrorist bases', but civilian deaths reported by Kurdish officials

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

Warplanes attacked bases belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK), and the Syrian People's Protection Units, or YPG, the ministry said in a statement, which was accompanied by images of F-16 jets taking off and footage of a strike from an aerial drone.