Pakistan condoles death of 12 Turkish soldiers in Iraq

Islamabad expresses solidarity with brotherly country; 11 other soldiers exposed to methane gas under treatment

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 pic.twitter.com/ulZVllKNhj

— 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.