Methane gas kills 12 Turkish soldiers in Iraq cave operation

The troops had been looking for the remains of a comrade killed by Kurdish militants.

Twelve Turkish soldiers have died after being exposed to methane gas during a cave search operation in northern Iraq, the country’s Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday. Nineteen troops were exposed to the colourless and odourless gas, with five dying on Sunday and a further seven succumbing to its effects the following day. The condition of the remaining seven soldiers is not known. The troops were on a mission to recover the remains of a comrade killed three years ago by Kurdish militants. Turkish authorities described the deaths as a "tragic event", with the country's Defence Minister Yasar Güler and senior military officials travelling to northern Iraq to conduct assessments and attend a formal repatriation ceremony.Speaking at the event, Güler praised the victims for their “great courage and sacrifice". “Our grief is immense and our feelings are beyond words," he said. The deaths occurred in the mountainous region where the Turkish army began an offensive in April 2022 against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara and its Western allies deem a terrorist organisation. The PKK has been engaged in a four-decade conflict with the Turkish state. The group announced in May that it would disarm as part of a proposed peace initiative, with fighters expected to begin surrendering their weapons in the coming days, marking the first tangible step towards disarmament.The cave, located at an altitude of 852 metres, had reportedly been used by the PKK as a field hospital.