July 20, 2016 - 10:22 AMT
Turkey launches first air strikes against PKK after coup attempt

Turkey's military carried out air strikes against members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, killing 20 militants, broadcaster NTV said on Wednesday, July 20, according to Reuters.

Turkey frequently launches air attacks against PKK targets in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq near the Turkish border, where the PKK leadership has camps. A ceasefire between the autonomy-seeking PKK and the state fell apart last year, triggering some of the worst violence in the three decades of the Kurdish insurgency.

Turkey faces multiple security threats, including Islamic State and the PKK. On Friday a faction of the military attempted a coup, but that later crumbled as Turks responded to a call from President Tayyip Erdogan and took to the streets in defiance of the coup.