ISTANBUL: Turkiye said on Monday that 12 soldiers had died after being exposed to methane gas duringa searchoperationin cavesin northern Iraq, increasing its previous toll of eight.

The incident comes at a sensitive time, with Turkiye in talks to end the conflict with the Kurds after the PKK militant group agreed to halt its decades-long armed struggle.

The conflict, which began in 1984, has cost more than 40,000 lives. 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 defence ministry said.

`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 on X. It did not explain the origin of the methanegas in the caves.

`During a search operation in a cave... previously known to have been used as a hospital... 19 of our personnel were exposed to methane gas,` it had said on Sunday.

It did not give any information about the condition of the other seven soldiers who were exposed to the gas, but said a farewell ceremony for the 12 victims was held at an airport in southeastern Turkiye.

The soldier whose body they were searching for was killed as Turkish troops were conducting Operation Claw Lock, a four-month sweep that began in April 2022 to root out Kurdish PKK militants holed up in caves along the border. The methane incident occurred on Sunday as a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM party was meeting jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, who in a rare move extended his condolences overthe deaths.

`This incident caused Mr Ocalan and all of us deep sadness,` a delegation statement said, offering condolences `to their families and relatives`.

`New phase` of rapprochement Turkish President Recep TayyipErdogan met lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish DEM party on Monday to discuss the next steps after PKK militants agreed to end their decades-long insurgency.

DEM, Turkey`s third-biggest party, has played a key role in facilitating an emerging peace deal between the government and jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, whose Kurdish militant group is expected to begin laying down its weapons later this week.

The meeting, which lasted just over an hour, brought together Erdogan, Efkan Ala, a senior figure in his ruling AKP, and spy chief Ibrahim Kalin with DEM lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar.

`Our delegation conveyed their views and suggestions on the new stage the process has reached and what to do next,` the DEM lawmakers said in a brief statement after the talks. DEM lawmaker Buldan called the meeting `historic`.

`The process is now entering a new phase in which consultations are needed,` she told reporters before the meeting, saying it was `importantto consultto take the necessary steps`.-AFP