Spanish police arrested nine people accused of being connected to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Interior Ministry.

The PKK, which is struggling for sovereignty for Turkey’s Kurds, is deemed a terrorist group in the eyes of Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The conflict which has been going on for decades now has wasted more than 40,000 lives.

The operation, remaining open, also searched 11 houses during dawn raids in Madrid, Valencia and Bilbao, as said by the ministry.

“The police operation was against the structure of education, training and integration in military apparatus of the terrorist organisation PKK-KCK, which operates in Turkey and Syria,” the ministry added.