Twelve Turkish soldiers were killed after being exposed to methane gas while searching a cave in Iraq.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defence said, at least 19 personnel were exposed to the gas during the search and clear operation yesterday, and were immediately taken to the hospital. The Ministry said, out of them, 12 soldiers have lost their lives.
The soldiers were searching for the body of a soldier who was killed in gunfire during a military operation led by Türkiye against militants from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq, which included air strikes on caves as well as a ground incursion.
Methane gas is not directly toxic, butit can be deadly as it can become suffocating, especially in tight, enclosed spaces.
The deaths occurred when the Turkish troops were searching for the remains of a soldier who was shot dead by Kurdish fighters in the area in May 2022 and whose body was never recovered, Turkey’s defence ministry said.
“Four other of our heroic comrades in arms, affected by methane gas, have died… bringing the total number of victims to 12,” the ministry said on X on Monday.
It did not explain the origin of the methane gas in the caves. “During a search operation in a cave… previously known to have been used as a hospital… 19 of our personnel were exposed to methane gas,” the ministry said on Sunday.
When the soldier whose body the troops were looking for died in 2022, Turkey was waging Operation Claw Lock, with its troops seeking to eradicate Kurdish PKK militants holed up in caves along the border.
News of the deaths emerged as a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM party was visiting jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan as part of the ongoing negotiations with the Turkish government.