French soldier killed and others injured in attack in Iraq, says Macron | War between the United States and Israel against Iran News

The French president condemns the “unacceptable” attack in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

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

Warrant officer Arnaud Frion “died for France” while stationed in the Erbil region, Macron said 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 along with Frion, without providing details.

“France is at his side and with his 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 Baghdad correspondent Mahmoud Abdelwahed said the attack and dozens more have been claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which includes armed groups aligned with Iran.

Iraq has become a “second battlefield” amid the US-Israel war against Iran, with Tehran attacking facilities associated with US forces, Abdelwahed said.

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

Ashab Ahl al-Kahf, a pro-Iran group in Iraq, said in a statement on Friday that French interests “in Iraq and the region” would be “under 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 wounded in the attack, although it is not clear if they were the soldiers mentioned by Macron.

Italy said separately on Thursday that an overnight airstrike hit its military base in Erbil, which houses NATO personnel. According to AFP, no soldiers were injured.

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