A week after Istanbul bombing, Turkey strikes in northern Syria

Turkey launched deadly airstrikes over northern regions of Syria and Iraq targeting Kurdish groups that Ankara holds responsible for last week's bomb attack in Istanbul.

The Turkish Defense Ministry, in a statement, said it was targeting areas “used as a base by terrorists”.

The ministry cited Turkey's right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter while launching an operation which it called Claw-Sword.

The airstrikes came after a bomb rocked a bustling avenue in the heart of Istanbul on November 13, killing six people and wounding over 80 others.

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Turkey has invaded northern Syria three times since 2016 and already controls some territories in the north. Earlier this year, Erdogan threatened another military operation in the border area.