12 soldiers die from methane gas while looking for slain comrade in cave

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Seven much Turkish soldiers person died from methane gas poisoning pursuing a cave hunt cognition successful bluish Iraq, Turkey's Defense Ministry said Monday, bringing the decease toll to 12. The soldiers had been searching for the remains of a chap worker antecedently killed by Kurdish militants.

The troops were searching a upland cave erstwhile 19 of them were exposed to the gas, according to the ministry. Five of the soldiers died Sunday from the colorless, odorless, flammable state that tin origin asphyxiation successful capable concentration, and 7 much succumbed connected Monday.

"We commune for God's mercy upon our heroic martyrs who mislaid their lives successful this tragic event," the ministry said Monday, besides expressing anticipation for a accelerated betterment for different troops that were affected.

It said Defense Minister Yasar Guler and equipped forces' commanders were traveling to the portion to transportation retired "inspections and evaluations" and be ceremonial ceremonies.

The ministry said the incidental took spot successful the "Claw-Lock Operation region" - a notation to an cognition launched against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, oregon PKK, successful bluish Iraq successful April 2022.

The ministry posted video connected societal media showing six of the dormant soldiers being transported backmost to their hometowns.

Millî Savunma Bakanı Yaşar Güler’in beraberinde TSK Komuta Kademesi ile katıldığı Yüksekova Selahaddin Eyyübi Havalimanındaki törende, Pençe-Kilit Harekâtı bölgesinde şehit düşen altı kahraman silah arkadaşımızın naaşları defnedilmek üzere memleketlerine uğurlandı.… pic.twitter.com/rGXYcrdhP7

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) July 7, 2025

"The bodies of our six heroic comrades who were martyred successful the Claw-Lock Operation portion were sent to their hometowns for burial," the ministry wrote connected X.

There was nary contiguous accusation connected the information of the 7 different soldiers who were affected by the gas.

The did not explicate the root of the methane state successful the caves.

Turkey and the PKK person waged a 40-year struggle that has often spilled implicit into Iraq and Syria. Turkey has acceptable up a bid of bases successful bluish Iraq, wherever the PKK has been established for decades.

The PKK, which is considered a violent enactment by Turkey and astir of the West, announced successful May that it would disband and renounce equipped struggle arsenic portion of a caller bid inaugural with Turkey.

Its fighters are expected to statesman handing implicit their weapons implicit the adjacent fewer days successful the archetypal factual determination toward disarmament.

According to the ministry, the Turkish portion flooded by methane state had been searching for the remains of an infantry serviceman killed by "terrorist gunfire" during a search-and-clear ngo successful May 2022. Recovery teams person been scouring the country for the past 3 years.

The cave wherever the incidental occurred sits astatine an altitude of 2,795 feet and had antecedently been utilized by the PKK arsenic a tract hospital.

News of the soldiers' deaths emerged arsenic a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM enactment was visiting jailed PKK laminitis Abdullah Ocalan arsenic portion of the ongoing negotiations with the Turkish government.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.