• Twelve Turkish soldiers have died following exposure to methane gas during an operation in Iraq.
• The soldiers were searching for the body of a comrade killed by Kurdish militants in 2022.
• Nineteen personnel were exposed to the gas during the search in a cave previously used as a hospital.
• The incident is part of Turkey's ongoing conflict with the PKK, now reportedly in peace negotiations.
• The Defense Ministry initially reported a lower death toll before updating it to twelve.

Twelve Turkish soldiers died after exposure to methane gas while searching a cave in northern Iraq, according to the Turkish Ministry of National Defence. Initially reported as eight deaths, the toll was updated after further casualties were confirmed. The troops were seeking the remains of a soldier who had been killed by Kurdish militants in May 2022, and nineteen personnel were exposed to the gas during the operation on Sunday, prompting their immediate hospitalization, according to Dawn, BBC, and Times of India.

The Ministry specified that the search took place in the "Claw-Lock Operation" area, a region heavily targeted in Turkey's ongoing military campaign against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Defense Minister Yasar Guler mentioned that the soldiers were conducting the search in a cave previously suspected of being used as a hospital by PKK fighters. The methane gas exposure has been linked to possible asphyxiation risks in confined spaces, as stated by CBS News, Al Jazeera, and BBC.

As the conflict with the PKK marked by significant loss of life continues, this incident has reignited discussions on military safety protocols and the potential for peace negotiations. The PKK had previously declared an end to armed conflict, potentially signaling a shift in efforts toward resolving the long-standing hostilities, as reported by Dawn, CBS News, and Al Jazeera.