5 Turkish soldiers killed by methane gas in Kurdistan
Five Turkish soldiers were killed and 14 others injured by methane gas poisoning in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, Turkiye's Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.
In a statement, the ministry revealed that the incident occurred during search and excavation efforts in a cave previously used by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as a medical shelter for its wounded fighters.
pic.twitter.com/Vb2gP4xFNI
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) July 6, 2025
The cave search was part of Operation Claw-Lock, launched by Turkiye in April 2022 to target PKK positions in the Metina, Zap, and Avashin-Basyan areas of the Kurdistan Region. The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union.
The operation was also linked to ongoing efforts to locate the remains of First Lieutenant Nuri Melih Bozkurt, who was killed by PKK gunfire during a cave sweep on May 28, 2022. Despite extensive searches, his body has not yet been recovered.
BASIN AÇIKLAMASIDeğerli Basın Mensupları,Pençe-Kilit Harekâtı kapsamında 28 Mayıs 2022 tarihinde icra edilen mağara arama-temizleme faaliyeti sırasında, teröristlerin açtığı ateş sonucu P. Ütğm. Nuri Melih Bozkurt şehit olmuş, yoğun ateş nedeniyle naaşına ulaşılamamıştır.…
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) July 6, 2025
On Saturday, the pro-Kurdish DEM Party announced that a symbolic disarmament of the PKK would take place soon in the Kurdistan Region. The group had declared a ceasefire and intention to disarm in March, following a call by jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to end its four-decade armed campaign.
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