Pakistan on Tuesday extended condolences to Turkiye after 12 Turkish soldiers died of methane exposure in Iraq during a search mission in the Claw-Lock Operation zone a day earlier, a statement from the Foreign Office said.

The deaths occurred when the Turkish troops were searching for the remains of a soldier who was shot dead by Kurdish fighters in the area in May 2022 and whose body was never recovered, the Turkish defence ministry said. The incident will be examined in detail with the administrative investigation initiated, it added.

“We wish Allah’s mercy upon the martyrs and express deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” the Foreign Office said in a post on X.

“Pakistan stands in firm solidarity with brotherly Turkiye in this moment of grief,” the post added.

Paki­stan and Turkiye share strong bilateral relations rooted in a foundation of shared cultural, religious, and historical connections, and mutual respect.

Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the “heinous” terror attack that killed 13 soldiers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district.

“I pray to Allah for mercy on our Pakistani brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the attack, and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded,” the president had said.

“As always, Turkiye will continue to stand by our longstanding friend Pakistan in its fight against terrorism.”

In Feb 2023, as Turkiye witnessed two powerful earthquakes that killed more than 55,000 residents and wounded over 100,000, Pakistan dispatched relief goods along with rescue workers and doctors to the country.