Twelve Turkish soldiers have died after being exposed to methane gas while searching a cave in northern Iraq, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence confirmed on Monday.
The ministry said the soldiers were part of a “search and clear” operation on Sunday when at least 19 personnel inhaled the gas and were immediately taken to hospital. By Monday, 12 had succumbed to the effects of the exposure.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he received the news with “great sorrow” and extended his condolences to the bereaved families and the Turkish Armed Forces.
“I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of our heroic soldiers and to our entire nation,”he said.
The soldiers had been searching for the remains of a comrade killed in May 2022 during Operation Claw-Lock, a long-running military campaign by Turkey targeting militants from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq. The operation has involved airstrikes on mountain hideouts and ground incursions into rugged terrain, including caves where PKK fighters have taken refuge.
Methane gas, while not directly toxic, can be fatal in confined spaces by displacing oxygen and causing suffocation. The dangers are particularly acute in enclosed areas such as caves.
The PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States, has fought a four-decade insurgency against the Turkish state. Initially founded in the 1980s with the aim of establishing an independent Kurdish homeland, the group has since shifted its focus towards achieving greater autonomy and rights for Kurds within Turkey.
More than 40,000 people have lost their lives in the conflict, which has spanned generations and devastated communities in southeastern Turkey and neighbouring regions.
In a significant development towards peace, the PKK announced in March that it was declaring a ceasefire. In May, the group said it would disband, declaring it had “completed its historical mission” and would “end the method of armed struggle.”
Boluwatife Enome
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