French soldier killed, others wounded in attack in Iraq, Macron says

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A French soldier was killed in an attack in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.

Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion “died for France” while stationed in the Erbil region, Macron said on Thursday, in what he condemned as an “unacceptable” attack.

“Their presence in Iraq is strictly within the framework of the fight against terrorism. The war in Iran cannot justify such attacks,” Macron said in a post on X.

Macron said several other soldiers were wounded alongside Frion, without providing details.

“France stands by their side and with their loved ones,” Macron said.

French forces have been stationed in the region since 2015 as part of an international coalition against ISIL (ISIS).

Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Baghdad, Mahmoud Abdelwahed, said the attack and dozens of others have been claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which includes Iran-aligned armed groups.

Iraq has become a “second battlefield” amid the United States-Israeli war on Iran, with Tehran targeting facilities associated with US forces, Abdelwahed said.

“We understand that they have been carrying out attacks against US interests, military bases, even the consulate in Erbil, the embassy in Baghdad and the Victory base, which is next to Baghdad International Airport,” he said.

Ashab Ahl al-Kahf, a pro-Iranian group in Iraq, said in a statement on Friday that French interests “in Iraq and the region” would be “under targeting fire”, according to the AFP news agency.

Macron’s statement came a day after the French military said a drone attack hit a military base in Iraq, according to AFP.

Military officials said six soldiers were injured in the strike, although it is unclear whether they were the soldiers mentioned by Macron.

Italy separately said on Thursday that an overnight air strike hit its military base in Erbil, which hosts NATO personnel. No soldiers were injured, according to AFP.

Macron said earlier this week he would deploy France’s flagship aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, to the Mediterranean and additional air defence units to Cyprus amid the widening conflict in the Middle East, according to France 24.