ANKARA — At least 12 Turkish soldiers died from methane gas poisoning in northern Iraq, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Monday.
What happened: The soldiers were exposed to the toxic gas while searching a cave. Nineteen were taken to a hospital for treatment on Sunday. Five died the same day, while seven others succumbed on Monday, according to separate statements from the ministry.
The ministry identified the cave’s location as in an area where Turkey has been conducting cross-border military operations against the PKK under the Claw-Lock campaign since 2019. The group was searching for the body of a Turkish soldier killed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in 2022, according to the ministry. Methane is an invisible, odorless gas that can displace oxygen in enclosed areas, leading to suffocation.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and the top military command went to Turkey’s southeast to attend memorial ceremonies for the fallen soldiers, according to a statement by the ministry on Monday.
“The incident, which has plunged us into deep and painful sorrow, will be thoroughly investigated through the administrative inquiry we have launched,” Guler told reporters after the ceremony.
Background: The PKK, headquartered in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq, has waged an armed campaign for Kurdish self-rule in Turkey since 1984. It’s considered a terrorist organization by Ankara, the United States and the European Union.
In May, the PKK announced it would lay down arms and end its four-decade struggle against Turkey as part of peace talks with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been serving a life sentence without parole in a Turkish prison since 1999.
Know more: The group is expected to hold a ceremony this week in northern Iraq to mark the beginning of its disarmament process.
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