ANKARA, Turkey — Seven extra Turkish troopers have died from methane fuel poisoning following a cave search operation in northern Iraq, Turkey’s Protection Ministry mentioned Monday, bringing the dying toll to 12. The troopers had been looking for the stays of a fellow soldier beforehand killed by Kurdish militants.
The troops had been looking a mountain cave when 19 of them had been uncovered to the fuel, in response to the ministry. 5 of the troopers died Sunday from the colorless, odorless, flammable fuel that may trigger asphyxiation in ample focus, and 7 extra succumbed on Monday.
“We pray for God’s mercy upon our heroic martyrs who misplaced their lives on this tragic occasion,” the ministry mentioned Monday, additionally expressing hope for a fast restoration for different troops that had been affected.
It mentioned Protection Minister Yasar Guler and armed forces’ commanders had been touring to the area to hold out “inspections and evaluations” and attend funeral ceremonies.
The ministry mentioned the incident occurred within the “Claw-Lock Operation area” — a reference to an operation launched in opposition to the Kurdistan Staff’ Social gathering, or PKK, in northern Iraq in April 2022.
There was no rapid data on the situation of the seven different troopers who had been affected by the fuel.
Turkey and the PKK have waged a 40-year battle that has usually spilled over into Iraq and Syria. Turkey has arrange a sequence of bases in northern Iraq, the place the PKK has been established for many years.
The PKK, which is taken into account a terrorist group by Turkey and a lot of the West, introduced in Could that it could disband and surrender armed battle as a part of a brand new peace initiative with Turkey.
Its fighters are anticipated to start handing over their weapons over the following few days within the first concrete transfer towards disarmament.
Based on the ministry, the Turkish unit overcome by methane fuel had been looking for the stays of an infantry officer killed by “terrorist gunfire” throughout a search-and-clear mission in Could 2022. Restoration groups have been scouring the world for the previous three years.
The cave the place the incident occurred sits at an altitude of 852 meters (2,795 ft) and had beforehand been utilized by the PKK as a area hospital.
