Twelve Turkish soldiers die from methane gas exposure during cave search in Iraq
The ministry said the incident had taken place on Sunday inside a cave in Duhok during a mission to retrieve the remains of a Turkish soldier killed during a military operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
'Four other of our heroic comrades in arms, affected by methane gas, have died … bringing the total number of victims to 12,' the ministry said on X, raising an earlier toll. It did not provide further details on the origin of the methane gas in the caves.
The soldier whose body the troops were searching for had been shot dead by Kurdish fighters in May 2022, the ministry said. Turkey was waging Operation Claw Lock at that time, attacking PKK positions in northern Duhok.
The incident comes amid renewed peace efforts and continuing talks aimed at ending the conflict between Turkey and the PKK. The militant group has agreed to end its decades-long armed struggle and to disarm.
The news of the deaths started to emerge on Sunday as a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party was visiting jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The party has been mediating the negotiations between the group and Ankara.
The DEM Party offered condolences over the deaths of the soldiers and said Ocalan had stated he was 'deeply concerned' by the incident.
The PKK was founded by Ocalan in 1978 and has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state for four decades, with about 40,000 killed on both sides. The group is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU, something it challenges.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Trump tariffs: US President issues letters to 7 more countries
US President Donald Trump released a fresh set of letters to trading partners Wednesday, setting out tariff rates for seven more countries as Washington pushes to bring about a flurry of trade deals. The letters, addressed to leaders of the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Algeria, Libya, Iraq and Moldova, spelled out duties ranging from 20 percent to 30 percent that would take effect on August 1. Similar to Trump's first batch of documents published Monday, the levels were not too far from those originally threatened in April, although some partners received notably lower rates this time. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Sri Lanka's updated tariff was 30 percent, down from 44 percent announced in April, while the figure for Iraq was 30 percent, down from 39 percent. The Philippines, however, saw a 20 percent levy, up from 17 percent announced previously. While the president in April imposed a 10 percent levy on almost all trading partners, he unveiled — and then withheld — higher rates for dozens of economies. The deadline for those steeper levels to take effect was meant to be Wednesday, before Trump postponed it further to August 1. Instead, countries who face the threats of elevated duties began receiving letters spelling out US tariff rates on their products. Trump said Wednesday that he decided on the levies based on "common sense" and trade deficits. He added at an event that he would release more letters later in the day -- including for Brazil, which does not currently face a tariff hike come August. Trump's latest messages were near-identical to those published earlier in the week, and justified his tariffs as a response to trade ties that he says are "far from Reciprocal." They urged countries to manufacture products in the United States to avoid duties, while threatening further escalation if leaders retaliated. For now, over 20 countries have received Trump's letters including key US allies Japan and South Korea, as well as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Thailand. EU deal in 'coming days'? Analysts have noted that Asian countries have been a key target so far. But all eyes are on the state of negotiations with major partners who have yet to receive such letters, including the European Union. For now, the Trump administration is under pressure to unveil more trade pacts. So far, Washington has only reached agreements with Britain and Vietnam, alongside a deal to temporarily lower tit-for-tat levies with China. Trump on Tuesday said that his government was "probably two days off" from sending the EU a letter with an updated tariff rate for the bloc. "They're very tough, but now they're being very nice to us," he added at a cabinet meeting. An EU spokesman said Wednesday that the bloc wants to strike a deal with the United States "in the coming days," and has shown readiness to reach an agreement in principle. EU diplomats say the European Commission, in charge of trade policy for the 27-country bloc, could continue talks until August 1. The EU expects Trump to keep a 10 percent baseline tariff on its goods, with exemptions for critical sectors such as airplanes, spirits and cosmetics, diplomats told AFP this week. Legal challenges to Trump's sweeping tariffs are continuing to work their way through the US court system. Apart from tariffs targeting goods from different countries, Trump has also rolled out sector-specific duties on steel, aluminum and autos since returning to the White House in January. On Tuesday, Trump said levies were incoming on copper and pharmaceuticals. The planned rate for copper is 50 percent, he added, while pharmaceutical products face a levy as high as 200 percent -- but manufacturers would be given time to relocate operations.
The National
4 hours ago
- The National
Trump unveils 30% tariff on Iraq in latest batch of trade letters
Donald Trump announced a 30 per cent tariff on Iraqi imports on Wednesday, with the country becoming the latest to have received a so-called trade letter from the US President. The latest tariff on Baghdad is 9 per cent lower than what Mr Trump had initially announced on the country on April 2. The White House this week extended its delayed implementation of the 'reciprocal tariffs' − set to go into effect on Wednesday − to August 1. Mr Trump in April imposed a 10 per cent tariff on almost all trading partners. His letter to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani is nearly identical to those sent to other countries this week, including Japan and South Korea. The letter also contains a similar threat Mr Trump has made to the affected countries, warning them not to impose retaliatory measures. 'If for any reason you decide to raise your t ariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added on to the 30 per cent that we charge,' Mr Trump wrote in the letter, which he posted on social media. The Iraqi embassy in Washington said there was no immediate response from Baghdad. Mr Trump also announced tariffs of 30 per cent on Libya and Algeria, 25 per cent on Brunei and 20 per cent on the Philippines. The President has framed the so-called reciprocal tariffs as a means to reduce the US trade deficit with certain countries. US total goods exports to Iraq totalled $1.7 billion in 2024, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative, while imports from Iraq totalled $7.4 billion. The US goods trade deficit with Iraq was $5.8 billion last year, a 7 per cent decrease from 2023. 'We have had years to discuss our trading relationship with Iraq, and have concluded that we must move away from these long-term, and very persistent, Trade deficits engendered by Iraq's tariff, and non-tariff, policies and trade barriers,' Mr Trump wrote. 'Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal.' Mr Trump also said the US would not impose tariffs on Iraq or Iraqi-based companies if they build or manufacture products within the US. This latest batch of countries to have received the trade letters follows more than a dozen others, including Lebanon and Bangladesh, who received them this week. The President on Tuesday also announced new tariffs on copper and pharmaceuticals.
The National
4 hours ago
- The National
Jailed PKK leader says armed struggle with Turkey is over
The group's founder Abdullah Ocalan was speaking on camera for the first time in 25 years, before a ceremony in northern Iraq in which the first tranche of militants will lay down their weapons
