One French soldier has died and six others were wounded after an Iran-made drone strike in northern Iraq, President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday. The soldiers, part of about 600 French personnel stationed in Iraq, were providing counterterrorism training as part of an international coalition fighting Islamic State. The strike came just hours after an Italian base in the region was also targeted.
The deceased officer, identified as Arnaud Frion, is the first European soldier to die in the conflict sparked by US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran earlier this month. French military officials confirmed the attack was carried out using a Shahed drone, and Macron called it "unacceptable and unjustified," emphasizing that France's forces are in Iraq strictly to fight terrorism. Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia group Ashab al-Kahf claimed responsibility, citing France's deployment of its aircraft carrier to the region.
France, which has about 4,000 troops deployed across Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Djibouti, has also sent naval vessels, including its aircraft carrier strike group, to the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and potentially the Strait of Hormuz in a defensive posture. French authorities are conducting a full assessment of the attack and weighing any potential responses in consultation with allies.
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