ANKARA(Turkey), July 7: Seven more Turkish soldiers have died from methane gas poisoning following a cave search operation in northern Iraq, Turkey’s Defence Ministry said Monday, bringing the death toll to 12. The soldiers had been searching for the remains of a fellow soldier previously killed by Kurdish militants.

  The troops were searching a mountain cave when 19 of them were exposed to the gas, according to the ministry. Five of the soldiers died Sunday from the colourless, odourless, flammable gas that can cause asphyxiation in sufficient concentration, and seven more succumbed on Monday.

“We pray for God’s mercy upon our heroic martyrs who lost their lives in this tragic event,” the ministry said Monday, also expressing hope for a rapid recovery for other troops that were affected.

It said Defence Minister Yasar Guler and armed forces’ commanders were travelling to the region to carry out “inspections and evaluations” and attend funeral ceremonies.

The ministry said the incident took place in the “Claw-Lock Operation region” — a reference to an operation launched against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq in April 2022.

There was no immediate information on the condition of the seven other soldiers who were affected by the gas. (AP)