12 Turkish Soldiers Killed by Methane Gas

Twelve Turkish soldiers have died from methane gas poisoning while searching a cave in northern Iraq for the body of a fellow soldier, reports Deutsche Welle. Turkish officials said the soldiers were exposed to the gas while looking for the remains of a soldier killed during a military operation against Kurdish militants three years ago, per Reuters. Seven other troops exposed to the gas were recuperating.

The incident comes amid stepped-up efforts to resolve the decades-long conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. The militant group has been fighting for more independence for Turkey's Kurdish minority, though it announced in May that it intends to disarm. Methane is a colorless, odorless gas that can be lethal in high concentrations, causing asphyxiation.