The statement said the soldier was killed on Saturday in a clash with PKK members as part of Operation Claw-Lightning.

The Claw-Lightning is an ongoing Turkish Armed Forces cross-border operation in northern Iraq. The operation is taking place in the Metina, Zap, and Avashin-Basyan regions against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members.

The operation began on the evening of 23 April 2021, with air and howitzer strikes targeting PKK positions in Northern Iraq.

In the following hours of the strikes, Turkish paratroopers and commandos airdropped from Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters to the points of Metina, Zap, and Avashin-Basyan regions.

Turkish Defense Ministry announced the "neutralization" of 42 militants and the destruction of 500 targets while announcing 6 KIA of their own.