Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins from Varces died for France during an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq, French President Emmanuel Macron announced via a post on X.

“To his family, to his brothers in arms, I want to express all the affection and solidarity of the Nation,” Macron wrote.

Other French soldiers also suffered injuries. Macron, while condemning the attacks, assured that the troops’ presence was part of the “fight against terrorism.”

“Several of our soldiers have been wounded. France stands by their side and with their loved ones. This attack against our forces engaged in the fight against Daesh since 2015 is unacceptable. Their presence in Iraq is part of the strict framework of the fight against terrorism,” Macron continued, adding that “the war in Iran cannot justify such attacks.”

Earlier, reports emerged from Erbil Governor Omid Khosnav that numerous French soldiers had been injured in two drone attacks on the Mala Kara base, writes Do Rzeczy. The reports were confirmed by the French military, which specified that six soldiers were injured in the attack.

This isn’t the first drone strike on the Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq. Pro-Iranian armed groups operating under the name of Islamic Resistance Movement in Iraq have claimed responsibility for previous attacks on American bases in the region. The French leader called this attack “unacceptable.” He emphasized that since 2015, his country’s forces have been engaged in the fight against the Islamic State, and their presence in Iraq is part of the fight against terrorism.