ANKARA - A Turkish air campaign destroyed 81 targets of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq as part of the Operation Claw-Eagle launched on Sunday night, the defense ministry said Monday.

The airstrikes were carried out against PKK hideouts in Sinjar, Qandil, Karacak, Zap, Avasin-Basyan and Hakurk regions, the ministry tweeted, adding fighter jets have returned to Turkish bases safely.

The Operation Claw-Eagle was taking place under the right of self-defense arising from international law and aimed to ensure the security of Turkish citizens and Turkey's borders as the PKK had been "stepping up harassment and attack attempts against the police and military bases," said the statement.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than 30 years, which has caused the death of more than 40,000 people.

Turkey has long been conducting operations against the PKK in southeastern Turkey and in northern Iraq where the armed group has hideouts.

Ankara has intensified these operations in the past few months.