Latest news with #Pençe-KilitHarekâtı
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Pakistan offers condolences over death of 12 Turkish soldiers in Iraq gas incident
Pakistan has expressed its deepest condolences on Tuesday after 12 Turkish soldiers lost their lives following exposure to methane gas during a search mission in northern Iraq. In a statement on Tuesday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan conveyed the nation's grief over the tragedy. "We are deeply saddened to learn that 12 Turkish soldiers were martyred after being exposed to methane gas during a search mission in the Claw-Lock Operation zone," he said. He prayed for the Almighty's mercy upon the fallen soldiers and extended heartfelt condolences to their families. We are deeply saddened to learn that 12 Turkish soldiers were martyred, after being exposed to methane gas during a search mission in the Claw-Lock Operation zone. We wish Allah's mercy upon the martyrs and express deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Pakistan 🇵🇰… — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 8, 2025 Khan also reiterated Pakistan's unwavering support for Turkey during this difficult time, offering solidarity with the brotherly nation. The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported that the soldiers were exposed to the methane gas while carrying out a sweep operation in a cave located at an altitude of 2,795 feet in the Claw-Lock Operation zone. Read: Turkey evacuates over 50,000 as wildfires rage in Izmir province The Turkish defence ministry said the incident took place on Sunday during a mission to locate the remains of a Turkish soldier killed during a military operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in May 2022. Eleven other soldiers, who were also exposed to gas in the cave have been shifted to the hospital, the ministry said. Millî Savunma Bakanı Yaşar Güler ve beraberindeki TSK Komuta Kademesi'nin, Pençe-Kilit Harekâtı bölgesinde metan gazından zehirlenerek GATA'da tedavileri devam eden kahraman Mehmetçiklerimizi ziyaretinden görüntüler…#MillîSavunmaBakanlığı#YaşarGüler — T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) July 7, 2025 The incident comes at a sensitive time with Turkey in talks to end the conflict with the Kurds after the PKK militant group agreed to end its decades-long armed struggle. The conflict, which began in 1984, has cost more than 40,000 lives.
Shafaq News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Death toll of Turkish soldiers in methane-filled cave reaches eight
Shafaq News – Ankara 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
