French soldier killed in Iraq drone attack, Macron confirms

A French soldier has died and six others were wounded in a drone strike in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, the armed forces ministry reported Friday. The attack occurred while troops were conducting a training exercise in the Erbil region. President Emmanuel Macron described the attack as “unacceptable” and stated France’s role in the Middle East remains strictly defensive. He announced on X that a member of the armed forces “died for France.” Arnaud Frion is believed to be the first European fatality since escalating conflict began two weeks ago. Further details regarding the incident have not been released.