Turkish military hits 44 PKK targets in Northern Iraq

The Turkish military hit 44 PKK targets in Qandil Mountains located in Northern Iraq, a statement from the General Staff said on Sunday.

Turkey has been hit by violence since a suicide bomb attack by an ISIS supporter, which killed 32 activists in Suruç on July 20.

The government has intensified its counterterror operations following the recent attacks carried out by the PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S., the EU and Turkey.

Formed in 1978, the terrorist group fought the government for an independent state until the early 2000's. The group then shifted its goal to autonomy in predominately Kurdish inhabited regions of Turkey.

The PKK announced on July 11 that the cease-fire, which was declared via a message from the PKK's imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan in 2013, has ended.

Turkish security forces have arrested hundreds of people with suspected links to ISIS, the PKK, and leftist groups, detaining over 1,300 people across the country, according to a recent statement released by the Prime Minister's Office.

The Turkish Air Force has been carrying airstrikes against the PKK in northern Iraq and the ISIS militants in northern Syria.