ISLAMABAD, Tuesday, July 8, 2025 (WNP): Pakistan on Tuesday extended heartfelt condolences to Türkiye over the tragic loss of 12 Turkish soldiers who were martyred after exposure to methane gas during a military operation in northern Iraq.

“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,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said in a statement.

He prayed for Allah’s mercy upon the martyrs and expressed profound sympathies with the bereaved families. The spokesperson also reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with its “brotherly nation” Türkiye during this time of national mourning.

According to Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu news agency, the soldiers were conducting a search operation inside a cave located at an altitude of 2,795 feet in the Claw-Lock zone—an area frequently used by militants of the outlawed PKK terror group—when they were fatally exposed to toxic methane gas on Sunday.

The tragic incident marks one of the deadliest non-combat losses for Turkish forces operating in the region, as Ankara continues its campaign against PKK elements in northern Iraq.