Twelve soldiers died due to methane gas poisoning while conducting a search operation in a cave in northern Iraq. Initially, the defense ministry reported eight deaths, later updating it to twelve as more soldiers succumbed to exposure. During the operation, 19 personnel were affected, and others were hospitalized. The cave, previously used as a field hospital by the PKK, was searched as part of Turkey's ongoing conflict against the group. The conflict has been ongoing for 40 years, resulting in approximately 40,000 casualties.
"Four others 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.
"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.
The ministry said the incident took place in the "Claw-Lock Operation region" a reference to an operation launched against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq in April 2022.
Turkey and the PKK have waged a 40-year conflict that has often spilled over into Iraq and Syria, with an estimated 40,000 people losing their lives.
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