If the buildings are "not operational", you're probably missing input items. Are any of your item stockpiles 0 or negative? From the sounds of it, you might not have enough wood.
Unlike a typical RTS, in Bronze Age units don't just have an upfront cost. They are a constant drain on resources.
You should be able to attack towers if you declare war on the enemy tribe. By default Masklings are just "hostile", which allows you to kill units, but not structures.