ANKARA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of Turkish soldiers rose to eight after three more succumbed to methane gas exposure during a search and clearance operation in a cave in northern Iraq, Türkiye's Defense Ministry said Monday.
The accident occurred Sunday in Türkiye's Operation Claw-Lock zone, where Turkish forces were searching a cave previously used by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in an effort to recover the remains of a first lieutenant killed in 2022.
Nineteen soldiers who were exposed to methane gas during the mission were immediately hospitalized, with five dying on Sunday, said the ministry.
"We offer our condolences and prayers for the noble martyrs who lost their lives in this incident, which has caused us deep sorrow and grief, and we wish their bereaved families, the Turkish Armed Forces, and our noble nation patience and strength, and a speedy recovery to those affected," the ministry said in its latest statement.
Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in 2022 to target the PKK hideouts in northern Iraq's Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the EU, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than four decades.
In May, the group announced its decision to disband and end its armed insurgency. ■