Methane leak in PKK hideout claims lives of 12 Turkish soldiers, ministry says UPDATED

The number of Turkish soldiers who died from methane gas poisoning in northern Iraq has risen to 12, Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defense has confirmed.

According to a statement shared by the ministry on social media platform X, four additional soldiers succumbed to poisoning in a cave previously used by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), per Caliber.Az.

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 dört kahraman silah arkadaşımız daha şehit olmuş, şehit olan personel…

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) July 7, 2025

The tragic incident occurred during ongoing counterterrorism operations targeting PKK hideouts in northern Iraq. Initial reports indicated that the cave, which had been booby-trapped and rigged with methane gas, was being cleared by Turkish forces when the exposure occurred.

10:04

The death toll of Turkish soldiers who lost their lives due to methane gas poisoning during a search and rescue operation in a cave in northern Iraq on July 6 has risen to eight, according to Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence.

“May Allah have mercy on the souls of our martyrs who lost their lives in this tragic incident. We extend our condolences to their families, the Turkish Armed Forces, and our nation,” the ministry’s statement on X read, Caliber.Az reports.

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

Earlier today, the Turkish Defence Ministry confirmed that a total of 19 soldiers were exposed to methane gas inside the cave. Although all affected personnel were swiftly transferred to hospital for treatment, five of them succumbed despite medical efforts.

The cave, once used by the PKK as a hospital and later cleared by Turkish forces, was being searched in an effort to locate the remains of a first lieutenant killed in May 2022 during a terrorist attack. 

By Khagan Isayev