At least 12 Turkish soldiers died from methane gas exposure in Iraq during a search operation inside a cave in a mountain, the Turkish defence ministry said. In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Defence said that an operation was launched to locate the mortal remains of Infantry Lieutenant Nuri Melih Bozkurt, who was killed by Kurdish militants during a 2022 military operation. According to the ministry, a total of 19 Turkish soldiers were exposed to methane gas inside the cave, located at an altitude of 852 meters (2,795 feet) in the Metina region.
