One French Soldier Killed in Attack by Pro-Iranian Militia in Iraq

Reference to Deployment of the Charles de Gaulle

The first fatality has occurred among French troops stationed in the Middle East following the outbreak of armed conflict between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.

French troops stationed in Iraq. Photo by EPA The Yonhap News Agency

On March 13 (local time), French President Emmanuel Macron announced via X (formerly Twitter) that a French soldier participating in anti-terrorism operations in Iraq had been killed in an attack in the Erbil region. He added, "Several soldiers were injured. This attack on our forces, who have been deployed to fight the Islamic State (IS) since 2015, is unacceptable."

According to the daily Le Monde and other sources, a drone attack on a French military base resulted in one French soldier killed and five others injured. Since the Iran crisis began on February 28, this marks the first time a European country's military stationed in the Middle East has suffered a fatality.

The pro-Iranian Iraqi armed group Ashab al-Kahf issued a statement via Telegram early that morning, declaring, "Starting tonight, all French assets in Iraq and the region are targets for attack," and warned residents to stay at least 500 meters away from French military bases.

The group has escalated its threats by referring to France's deployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Eastern Mediterranean. France recently dispatched the Charles de Gaulle near the Middle East to protect its citizens living in the region and defend its allies.

France is stationed in Iraq as a member of the US-led international coalition to defeat IS. In Erbil, in Iraq's northern Kurdish autonomous region, French troops are training Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga, the military forces of the Kurdish Regional Government.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.