Methane gas kills 12 Turkish soldiers in Iraq cave operation
Nineteen troops were exposed to the colourless and odourless gas, with five dying on Sunday and a further seven succumbing to its effects the following day.
The condition of the remaining seven soldiers is not known.
The troops were on a mission to recover the remains of a comrade killed three years ago by Kurdish militants.
Turkish authorities described the deaths as a "tragic event", with the country's Defence Minister Yasar Güler and senior military officials travelling to northern Iraq to conduct assessments and attend a formal repatriation ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Güler praised the victims for their 'great courage and sacrifice".
'Our grief is immense and our feelings are beyond words," he said.
The deaths occurred in the mountainous region where the Turkish army began an offensive in April 2022 against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara and its Western allies deem a terrorist organisation.
The PKK has been engaged in a four-decade conflict with the Turkish state.
The group announced in May that it would disarm as part of a proposed peace initiative, with fighters expected to begin surrendering their weapons in the coming days, marking the first tangible step towards disarmament.
The cave, located at an altitude of 852 metres, had reportedly been used by the PKK as a field hospital.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
At least 25 people killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza, hospitals say
Israeli airstrikes and gunshots killed at least 25 people overnight in northern Gaza as thousands of Palestinians made their way to the Zikim crossing with Israel in search for food, local hospitals said on Saturday. According to staff at the Shifa hospital, most of the victims were killed by gunfire as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel. Israel's army did not respond to a request for comments about the latest shootings. Those killed in strikes include four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, among others, hospital staff, and the ambulance service said. The strikes come as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have hit a standstill after the US and Israel recalled their negotiating teams on Thursday, throwing the future of the negotiations into further uncertainty. Palestinians in desperate search for food On Saturday, thousands of Palestinians made their way to the Zikim crossing in the Gaza Strip, risking their lives in search of food. Hospital officials reported that some Palestinians were killed in recent weeks in the area near the crossing, in the north of the Palestinian territory. Some reports claim that when aid is given, criminal gangs and sizable groups of desperate people frequently overrun trucks as they enter and take the supplies. Earlier this week, Israel's military reported that it was aware of some casualties when soldiers opened fire on a group of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza who were posing a threat. Displaced mother Smoud Wahdan, cradling her infant son, made the journey to the crossing from a school in Gaza City where they are sheltering. She acknowledged the journey carried a lot of risk, but said that she had to face this danger in order to feed her children. 'I have come all this way, risking my life for my children. My children have not eaten for a week,' she explained. Experts have warned that Gaza is being pushed closer to famine, after months of Israel entirely blocking food or letting in only limited amounts. The number of people dying from causes related to malnutrition has accelerated this month. International outrage grows over starvation deaths According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), nearly one in three people in Gaza has not been eating for days at a time, warning that malnutrition is rising with around 90,000 children and women now in need of urgent treatment. The warning comes just as over 100 human rights and charitable organisations, as well as more than two dozen Western-aligned nations, have called for the Gaza war to be brought to an end. Their severe criticism has been directed at Israel's new aid delivery mechanism and blockade. Israel says it has allowed in around 4,500 aid trucks since lifting a total blockade in May, and that it permits around 70 truckloads a day, one of the lowest rates during the Israel-Hamas war and far less than the several hundred the United Nations says are needed each day. Despite the growing international outrage, Israel maintains it lets in enough aid and faults UN agencies for not doing enough to retrieve and get it to those in need. The UN says its delivery of aid is being hampered by Israeli military restrictions on its movements and incidents of criminal looting. In an update on Friday, the UN's OCHA said that the starvation crisis is deepening across Gaza, with the local health authorities announcing that two more people had died from starvation the previous day.
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
25 people killed by Israeli gunshots in Gaza mostly while seeking food
Israeli airstrikes and gunshots killed at least 25 people overnight in Northern Gaza as thousands of Palestinians made their way to the Zikim crossing with Israel in a frantic search for food, local health officials and the ambulance service said on Saturday. According to staff at the Shifa hospital, most of the victims were killed by gunfire as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comments about the latest shootings. Those killed in strikes include four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, among others, hospital staff, and the ambulance service said. The strikes come as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have hit a standstill after the US and Israel recalled their negotiating teams on Thursday, throwing the future of the negotiations into further uncertainty. Thousands of desperate Palestinians risk their lives On Saturday, thousands of desperate Palestinians made their way to the Zikim crossing in the Gaza Strip, risking their lives in search of food. Hospital officials reported that some Palestinians were killed in recent weeks in the area near the crossing, in the north of the Palestinian territory. Some reports claim that when aid is given, criminal gangs and sizable groups of desperate people frequently overrun trucks as they enter and remove the supplies. Earlier this week, Israel's military reported that it was aware of some casualties when soldiers opened fire on a group of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza who were posing a threat. Displaced mother Smoud Wahdan, cradling her infant son, made the journey to the crossing from a school in Gaza City where they are sheltering. She acknowledged the journey carried a lot of risk, but said that she had to face this danger in order to feed her children. 'I have come all this way, risking my life for my children. My children have not eaten for a week,' she explained. Experts have warned that Gaza is being pushed closer to famine, after months of Israel entirely blocking food or letting in only limited amounts. The number of people dying from causes related to malnutrition has accelerated this month. International outrage grows Over 100 human rights and charitable organisations, as well as more than two dozen Western-aligned nations, have demanded that the war be brought to an end. Their severe criticism has been directed at Israel's new aid delivery mechanism and blockade. Israel says it has allowed in around 4,500 aid trucks since it lifted a total blockade in May and that it allows in around 70 truckloads a day, one of the lowest rates of the war and far less than the several hundred the United Nations says are needed each day. Despite the growing international outrage, Israel maintains it lets in enough aid and faults UN agencies for not doing enough to retrieve and get it to those in need. The UN says its delivery of aid is being hampered by Israeli military restrictions on its movements and incidents of criminal looting.
Euronews
07-07-2025
- Euronews
Methane gas kills 12 Turkish soldiers in Iraq cave operation
Twelve Turkish soldiers have died after being exposed to methane gas during a cave search operation in northern Iraq, the country's Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday. Nineteen troops were exposed to the colourless and odourless gas, with five dying on Sunday and a further seven succumbing to its effects the following day. The condition of the remaining seven soldiers is not known. The troops were on a mission to recover the remains of a comrade killed three years ago by Kurdish militants. Turkish authorities described the deaths as a "tragic event", with the country's Defence Minister Yasar Güler and senior military officials travelling to northern Iraq to conduct assessments and attend a formal repatriation ceremony. Speaking at the event, Güler praised the victims for their 'great courage and sacrifice". 'Our grief is immense and our feelings are beyond words," he said. The deaths occurred in the mountainous region where the Turkish army began an offensive in April 2022 against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara and its Western allies deem a terrorist organisation. The PKK has been engaged in a four-decade conflict with the Turkish state. The group announced in May that it would disarm as part of a proposed peace initiative, with fighters expected to begin surrendering their weapons in the coming days, marking the first tangible step towards disarmament. The cave, located at an altitude of 852 metres, had reportedly been used by the PKK as a field hospital.
