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French Soldier Killed in Iranian Drone Strike on Military Base in Iraq
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A French soldier was killed overnight in an Iranian drone strike targeting a military base in Iraq, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on March 13.
The drones struck a joint facility used by Peshmerga forces of Iraqi Kurdistan and a French military contingent near the city of Erbil.
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Preliminary reports indicate that at least six French soldiers were wounded in the attack.
The serviceman killed was Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion, a member of the 7th Battalion of Alpine Hunters, an elite French mountain infantry unit.
The incident marks France’s first confirmed military casualty since the start of the US and Israeli military campaign against Iran.
Reports about Iranian attack with Shahed-type long-range strike drones on a French military base located in the town of Makhmur, Erbil Governorate, northern Iraq.
— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) March 12, 2026
6 French servicemen were wounded as a result of the strikes, Governor of Erbil Governorate Omed Khoshnaw told Rudaw. pic.twitter.com/Ku1yGFuK6S
Local sources reported that several explosions occurred at the base during the attack, with fires breaking out in parts of the facility.
French troops stationed at the base were involved in training Iraqi security forces as part of the international mission to combat the Islamic State group.
The strike follows a series of Iranian attacks targeting foreign military installations across the Middle East.
Previously, Iran launched a missile strike against a base hosting Italian troops near Erbil. Following the incident, Italy announced plans to temporarily withdraw its personnel from the base in Iraqi Kurdistan.
A similar situation occurred on March 10, when Iranian ballistic missiles targeted a German field camp at Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan. German troops were able to reach shelters in time, preventing casualties.
The German contingent stationed at Al-Azraq primarily supports regional operations using aerial refueling aircraft, which help sustain coalition missions across the Middle East.
Earlier, reports emerged that Russia provided Iran with drone warfare tactics developed during the war against Ukraine, helping Iranian forces improve their ability to penetrate air defense systems in the Middle East.
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