Turkiye said on Monday that three more soldiers had died after being exposed to methane gas during a cave search in northern Iraq. This raised the total death count to eight. The troops were part of a mission to find the remains of a soldier killed in May 2022.
The Turkish defence ministry said, “Three other of our heroic comrades in arms, affected by methane gas, have died, bringing the total number of victims to eight.” The operation was happening in a cave previously used as a hospital.
The ministry also stated, “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.” No explanation was given for the gas source. The incident happened during a sensitive period of negotiations.
Turkiye and Kurdish officials are in talks to end the long-standing conflict. The PKK recently agreed to give up its armed fight. This conflict began in 1984 and has killed over 40,000 people since. The talks are ongoing while tension still exists on the ground.
The soldier whose body was being searched died during Operation Claw Lock. That operation targeted PKK fighters in caves near the Iraqi-Turkish border. His body was never found after the 2022 clash, leading to this new mission.
The deaths happened as a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM party visited Abdullah Ocalan. He is the jailed PKK founder. Their visit was part of the continuing peace talks with the Turkish government.
These latest deaths may complicate the peace efforts. The Turkish military is expected to review safety measures. No further information was provided about the ongoing search or the gas leak source.
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