French soldier killed in drone attack into Iraq: Macron
French soldier's death in Iraq attack announced by President Macron
A drone attack has killed a French soldier and wounded several others in Erbil in Iraq's Kurdistan region, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday.
A member of the armed forces "died for France during an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq," Macron posted on X, confirming the first French military death in the Middle East war.
Macron announced the death of Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion, a member of the elite 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins based in Varces-Allières-et-Risset, following an Iranian drone attack on a joint military base near Erbil in northern Iraq.
The incident also wounded several other French soldiers.
It marks the first French military fatality in the ongoing Middle East conflict that intensified after recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran, as per France24.
According to reports, the attack occurred late Thursday night when two drones targeted a coalition facility in the Makhmour area, approximately 60 kilometers southwest of Erbil, where French forces are stationed alongside Kurdish Peshmerga units as part of the international anti-ISIS coalition.
Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw confirmed that six French soldiers were injured in the strike, with injuries described as non-critical.
A senior Peshmerga commander, Sirwan Barzani, reported seven French personnel wounded, though no Peshmerga forces were harmed.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Macron expressed the nation's affection and solidarity with Frion's family and comrades.
"Several of our soldiers have been wounded. France stands by their side and with their loved ones," he wrote.
Attacks unacceptable
He condemned the attack as "unacceptable," emphasizing that French forces have been engaged in the fight against Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq since 2015.
"Their presence in Iraq is part of the strict framework of the fight against terrorism. The war in Iran cannot justify such attacks."
The French military initially reported the incident as a drone attack wounding six soldiers involved in counter-terrorism training with Iraqi partners, without mentioning fatalities at the time.
The base, part of Operation Chammal, hosts hundreds of French troops supporting local forces against Daesh (ISIS) remnants.
This strike comes amid heightened regional tensions following Iran's missile barrages and ongoing exchanges with Israel and the US.
Kurdish authorities and coalition sources have attributed the attack to Iranian-linked militias, though no group has claimed responsibility.
The incident follows a similar drone attack on an Italian base in the same region earlier in the day.
France has been a key participant in the US-led coalition against Daesh since 2014, with operations focused on training and advising Iraqi and Kurdish forces.
The attack underscores the risks to Western troops in Iraq amid the broader Iran conflict, which has seen over 270 drone and missile strikes on Kurdistan Region positions since the war's onset.
Officials in Paris have not yet outlined any specific response, but the event could prompt increased diplomatic pressure or military adjustments in the region.
The French Defense Ministry declined to provide further details on the wounded soldiers' conditions, citing operational security.
