Paris: A French soldier was killed in an attack in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, marking the first French military casualty in the ongoing Middle East conflict, President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Friday. The attack underscores the escalating tensions following recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which have led to multiple assaults by pro-Iranian factions targeting regions where foreign forces are stationed as part of the international anti-jihadist coalition.
According to France24.com, the soldier, identified as Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins from Varces, "died for France during an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq," as stated by Macron on social media platform X. The attack also resulted in several other soldiers being wounded. France revealed that the officer was killed by a Shahed drone, a type typically employed by Iran.
The situation escalated earlier when a pro-Iranian Iraqi group threatened French interests in the region following the arrival of a French aircraft carrier to the area designated as operations of the American Central Command. The warning, issued on Ashab Alkahf's Telegram channel, also advised local security forces to avoid a base allegedly housing French troops. However, the group did not directly claim responsibility for the attack.
The French military reported that drones targeted a base where troops were engaged in counter-terrorism training with Iraqi counterparts. The governor of Erbil detailed that the strike involved two drones and hit a base in Mala Qara, about 40 kilometers from the regional capital. The French military indicated on Thursday that six individuals were wounded, though it remains unclear if the deceased soldier was among those injured.
President Macron condemned the attack, labeling it "unacceptable" and stating that "the war in Iran cannot justify such attacks." This incident follows a separate drone strike on an Italian base in Erbil, which did not result in casualties but prompted Italy to temporarily withdraw its military personnel from the area.
Foreign troops, including those from Italy and France, are stationed in Iraqi Kurdistan to train Kurdish security forces under the anti-jihadist coalition led by Washington. Macron reiterated that the presence of French troops in Iraq is strictly within the framework of combating terrorism, emphasizing that France's stance in the Middle East war remains "strictly defensive."