French Soldier Killed in Iraq Drone Attack, Macron Condemns Escalation
ERBIL, Iraq (AP) — A French soldier was killed in a drone attack in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, President Emmanuel Macron announced Friday, marking the first French fatality since the escalation of tensions in the Middle East following strikes on Iran.
Adjudant-chef Arnaud Frion, from the 7th Battalion of Alpine Hunters in Varces, France, died in the attack near Erbil, Macron said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. He added that “the war in Iran cannot justify such attacks.”
The attack, which occurred Thursday night, also wounded six other French soldiers who were engaged in training Iraqi partners in counter-terrorism operations, according to a statement from the French military. The wounded soldiers received medical care.
The strike involved two drones and targeted a base located at Mala Qara, approximately 25 miles southwest of Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, according to the governor of Erbil.
The incident comes after a similar drone attack targeted an Italian base in Erbil, though it did not cause any injuries. Italian authorities have temporarily withdrawn their personnel from that base. Both France and Italy are part of an international coalition led by the United States that trains Kurdish security forces in the region.
Macron emphasized France’s “defensive” role in the region, stating the goal is to protect French citizens and support partners like Lebanon and countries in the Arabian Peninsula. France has deployed a significant naval force, including the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, to the Eastern Mediterranean, with plans to mobilize eight frigates and two amphibious helicopter carriers across a broad area including the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
The French government has condemned the attack as unacceptable, particularly given the French forces’ focus on combating the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Iraq since 2015. The region has seen a rise in attacks attributed to pro-Iranian factions since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East, though most have been intercepted by air defenses.
The escalation in regional tensions follows Israeli and American strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory missile and drone launches by Tehran.
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