Erbil: A drone strike has tragically resulted in the death of a French soldier in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, according to France's armed forces ministry. The incident marks France's first military casualty in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as confirmed by President Emmanuel Macron.
According to France24.com, Arnaud Frion, aged 42, was killed by a drone strike that also left six other soldiers wounded. The French armed forces ministry disclosed that the strike involved an Iranian-designed Shahed attack drone, as stated by Colonel Francois-Xavier de la Chesnais, Frion's commanding officer. However, French military spokesman Colonel Guillaume Vernet cautioned that it was "premature" to determine the exact model of the drone or its launch site, emphasizing that an investigation is underway.
Macron conveyed on X that the soldier "died for France during an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq." The incident occurred on Thursday amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, following recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The Erbil region, where foreign forces are stationed as part of an international coalition against jihadists, has witnessed multiple attacks attributed to pro-Iranian factions.
A pro-Iranian Iraqi group had earlier issued a warning on Ashab Alkahf's Telegram channel, targeting French interests following the arrival of a French aircraft carrier in the region. The group advised security forces to avoid a base believed to house French troops. However, there was no direct claim of responsibility from the group for the attack.
The French military reported that drones targeted a base where troops were engaged in counter-terrorism training with Iraqi forces. According to the governor of Erbil, the strike involved two drones and hit a base in Mala Qara, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the regional capital.
In response to Frion's death, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani pledged to prevent further attacks. Sudani expressed "solidarity" with France in a phone call with Macron, assuring that "necessary measures will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents" and that an investigation into the attack will be conducted.
Macron reiterated that France's position in the Middle East conflict is "strictly defensive," emphasizing that "the war in Iran cannot justify such attacks" and labeling the strike "unacceptable."
This incident follows a separate drone strike on an Italian base in Erbil, which fortunately resulted in no injuries. Italy has since announced a temporary withdrawal of its military personnel from the base. Soldiers from various countries, including Italy and France, are involved in training Kurdish security forces in Iraqi Kurdistan as part of the Washington-led anti-jihadist coalition.