The death toll rose to 12 as authorities announced on Monday that seven more soldiers died after being exposed to methane gas in northern Iraq. Soldiers were combing a cave in the region that was once occupied by the PKK terrorist group. The Ministry of National Defense had initially announced the death toll in Sunday's incident as five.
The incident occurred as troops were searching for the remains of a soldier who was shot dead by the PKK in the area in May 2022. His body was never recovered.
At the time, Türkiye was waging Operation Claw Lock, with its troops seeking to eradicate PKK members holed up in caves along the border.
"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." Sunday's statement by the ministry said.
On Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message of condolences for soldiers. "I wish Allah's blessings for our heroes who sacrifice their lives for the security of Türkiye," the president said in a social media post.
Since Turkish operations have driven its domestic presence to near extinction, the PKK has moved a large chunk of its operations to northern Iraq, including a stronghold in the Qandil Mountains, located roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the Turkish border in Irbil. In 2022, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock to target PKK's hideouts in the Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq, near the Turkish border. Two operations preceded it – Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle – launched in 2020 to root out terrorists.
The incident came days before the expected start of the PKK's disarmament as part of the terror-free Türkiye initiative.
Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and commanders of the Turkish army attended a farewell ceremony for soldiers at an airport in Hakkari, before the bodies of each soldier were transported to their hometowns for burial.
Speaking there, Güler said the deceased were commandos seeking to recover the body of First Lt. Nuri Melih Bozkurt, killed on May 28, 2022.
"They were affected by methane and carbon monoxide within the cave. They were immediately taken to the hospital, while crews from Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and Turkish Coal Enterprises (TTK) launched a comprehensive search," he said.
The TTK has vast experience in the retrieval of survivors and the deceased from confined spaces, particularly mines and caves. Güler said they would investigate the incident.
