Islamabad: Pakistan has expressed deep sadness over the martyrdom of twelve Turkish soldiers, after being exposed to methane gas during a search mission in the Claw-Lock Operation Zone.
In a statement, Foreign Office wished mercy of Almighty Allah upon the martyrs and expressed deepest condolences to the bereaved families.
The statements added that Pakistan stands in firm solidarity with brotherly Turkiye in this moment of grief.
Twelve Turkish soldiers have died after inhaling methane gas during a mission in northern Iraq, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence says.
“Four other of our heroic comrades in arms, affected by methane gas, have died … bringing the total number of victims to 12,” the ministry said in a post on X on Monday.
According to it, the incident took place on Sunday as troops searched for the remains of a soldier killed by fighters belonging to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in 2022.
PKK has been labelled a terrorist group by Turkiye, the European Union and the United States. It fought for Kurdish autonomy for years, a fight that has been declared over now.
Nineteen soldiers were exposed to the gas inside a site once used by armed fighters as a hospital.
