On July 7, the Turkish Defense Ministry said 12 Turkish soldiers had died after being exposed to methane gas during a search in northern Iraq.
According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, soldiers are conducting a search in a cave at an altitude of 852m to search for the body of a Turkish soldier killed in the country's military campaign against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in 2022.
In addition to the 12 dead, 19 other soldiers were also affected by methane gas and were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Turkish media reported that PKK members often take shelter in northern Iraq to plan cross-border attacks into Turkey.
To counter the threat, Turkey launched a Claw-Lock operation in 2022, targeting PKK shelters in the Metina, Zap and Avasin- basyan regions of northern Iraq.
The PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU.
