Turkiye Troops were searching for missing soldier’s body in a cave once used as a PKK hospital
Death Toll Rises Amid Delicate Peace Talks
Turkiye Ministry of Defence announced on Monday that 12 soldiers have died after being exposed to methane gas during a search operation in northern Iraq. The revised figure follows an earlier report of eight fatalities.
The soldiers were part of a mission to recover the body of a comrade who was killed by Kurdish fighters in May 2022 during Operation Claw Lock, a major offensive against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) along the Iraqi border.
Cave Once Served as PKK Field Hospital
The Turkish military said the troops entered a cave previously used by the PKK as a hospital, where they were exposed to toxic methane gas. A total of 19 personnel were affected, with 12 losing their lives.
“Four other of our heroic comrades in arms, affected by methane gas, have died… bringing the total number of victims to 12,” the ministry confirmed on X (formerly Twitter).
The source of the methane remains unclear, and authorities have not yet disclosed whether additional investigations into the cave’s contents will be launched.
Incident Coincides With Peace Negotiations
The tragedy occurs at a crucial time in Turkish-Kurdish relations, as Ankara enters talks with the PKK following the group’s agreement to halt its decades-long armed struggle.
The PKK conflict, which began in 1984, has claimed over 40,000 lives and destabilized parts of southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq.
The announcement also coincided with a visit by members of the pro-Kurdish DEM party to jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, as part of the broader negotiation process with Turkey’s government.
Strategic Importance of Operation Claw Lock
Operation Claw Lock, launched in 2022, was aimed at neutralizing PKK militants entrenched in mountainous cave networks near Turkey’s border with Iraq.
The operation has seen intense fighting, and the cave where the soldiers perished is believed to have been one of the strategic hideouts used by the PKK for both shelter and medical treatment.
