Turkey announced the arrest of at least 20 suspects in a security operation targeting individuals linked to the PKK, just hours after launching airstrikes on the group's targets in northern Iraq, while the four Iraqi presidencies rejected any aggression aimed at the country's territory.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that the arrest campaign was carried out in 26 locations in the cities of Istanbul and Kırklareli, noting that a spokesperson for the People's Democratic Party was among those arrested.

For its part, the Turkish Anadolu Agency reported that Turkish intelligence managed to kill a PKK leader in the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria.

The agency clarified that the intelligence forces eliminated Muzdalif Tashkin, who held the position of public order officer and was responsible for the Daglica attack that occurred in 2007, which resulted in the deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers at that time.

This comes just hours after the Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed in a statement that it had managed to destroy 20 targets of what it described as "PKK terrorists" in airstrikes targeting their strongholds in northern Iraq.

The statement mentioned that the airstrikes targeted locations of the PKK and "other terrorist elements" in Metina, Hakurk, Qandil, and Jara (northern Iraq) yesterday evening, Sunday.

These security and military operations come just one day after an attack targeted the General Directorate of Security affiliated with the Interior Ministry in the capital, Ankara, resulting in the injury of two police officers and the death of the attackers.

AFP reported from a news site close to the PKK that a group called "the Immortal Battalion" carried out an explosion in Ankara.