Death toll of Turkish soldiers in methane-filled cave reaches eight
Three more Turkish soldiers died from methane gas poisoning in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, Turkiye's Defense Ministry reported on Monday.
The soldiers were searching a cave once used by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as a medical shelter when they inhaled methane gas, the ministry stated, raising the death toll to eight from initial reports of five dead and 19 hospitalized.
6 Temmuz 2025 tarihinde, Pençe-Kilit Harekâtı bölgesinde 852 Rakımlı Tepe'de bölücü terör örgütü mensupları tarafından kullanılan bir mağarada icra edilen arama tarama faaliyetinde, metan gazından etkilenen üç kahraman silah arkadaşımız daha şehit olmuş, şehit olan personel…
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) July 7, 2025
Fahrettin Altun, head of communications for the Turkish presidency, confirmed early evidence pointed to a natural methane leak, urging the public to rely on official sources and avoid misinformation.
Pençe-Kilit Harekâtı kapsamında 28 Mayıs 2022 tarihinde yürütülen mağara arama-temizleme faaliyeti sırasında şehit olan kahraman subayımız Piyade Üsteğmen Nuri Melih Bozkurt'un naaşına ulaşmak amacıyla uzun süredir büyük bir dikkat ve kararlılıkla sürdürülen arama çalışmaları,…
— Fahrettin Altun (@fahrettinaltun) July 6, 2025
The cave search was part of Operation Claw-Lock, launched in April 2022 to target PKK positions in Metina, Zap, and Avashin-Basyan. The PKK is designated a terrorist group 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
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