Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron announced early Friday that a French soldier was killed and several others were injured during an attack in Iraq's Erbil region. Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Alpine Chasseurs Battalion from Varces died in the line of duty, Macron stated on the social media platform X.
According to Anadolu Agency, Macron condemned the attack as "unacceptable" and emphasized that French troops have been engaged in combating ISIS (Daesh) since 2015. He reiterated that the presence of French forces in Iraq is strictly within the framework of the fight against terrorism and stated that the war in Iran cannot justify such attacks. Macron extended his condolences to the family and comrades of the fallen soldier, expressing the nation's affection and solidarity.
French political figures from across the spectrum also paid tribute to the soldier. Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a lawmaker from the far-right National Rally, expressed that the party honors the memory of the fallen soldier, describing the incident as a shock. Speaking on TF1, Tanguy affirmed that the attack does not alter France's commitment to the region, clarifying that French forces are engaged against terrorism, not Iran. He urged for retaliation against the terrorist groups responsible for the attack.
Bruno Retailleau, leader of the conservative Republicans party and a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, also paid tribute to the fallen soldier on X. He acknowledged the sacrifice of Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion and his wounded comrades, recognizing their service to France.
Earlier, Sirwan Barzani, a commander of the Kurdish Regional Government, reported that at least seven French soldiers were injured in a drone attack in Iraq's Erbil region while they were providing counter-terrorism training. The origin of the drone remains unclear. Barzani described the attack as an unjust act of terrorism, emphasizing that the French soldiers were there as military advisers with no connection to warfare, and called on the Iraqi government to take measures to prevent similar incidents.