A total of 36 PKK terrorist targets were destroyed in a counterterror operation carried out in northern Iraq's Asos region, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) said Monday in a written statement.

According to the statement, the airstrikes were carried out with jets and unmanned aerial vehicles, which safely returned to their bases following the completion of the operation.

The targets destroyed in the operation included shelters, hideouts and tunnels used by the PKK terrorist organization in northern Iraq.

The Turkish military has been carrying out counterterror operations against PKK positions in northern Iraq since July 2015, with main focus on Qandil region, where the terrorist group's main camp is located in.

Founded in 1978, the PKK has waged a decades-long bloody campaign against Turkey.

The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU, resumed its armed campaign in July 2015 after a brief reconciliation period.

Since that time, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 security personnel and civilians, including women and children, while more than 4,000 security personnel and over 2,000 civilians have been injured.