President Macron condemns drone strike that killed French soldier near Makhmur

ERBIL — French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed early Friday the death of a French army officer killed in a drone attack on a joint French-Peshmerga base near Makhmur in Erbil governorate, calling the strike “absolutely unacceptable” and marking the first French military death since the regional war began.

“Officer Arnaud Freyon from the 7th Battalion of the Alpine Hunters Regiment in Var was killed while defending France during an attack that took place in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” Macron wrote on X. “I extend my deepest condolences and sincere solidarity to his family and his brothers in arms.” He added that a number of French soldiers were also wounded.

Macron stressed that “the presence of French forces in Iraq comes within the framework of the international mission to fight ISIS since 2015 and support stability in the region,” and said France would continue its commitment to the international coalition against terrorism. “The war in Iran cannot justify such attacks,” he said.

Late Thursday, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw said the base on the Mela Qarada axis near Makhmur was struck by two drones, wounding six French soldiers with no Peshmerga harmed. “The attack took place on the Mela Qarada axis near Makhmur, where the base hosts French forces that provide training to Peshmerga,” Khoshnaw said. The death of Freyon was confirmed by Macron hours later.

A pro-Iranian Iraqi group, Ashab Ahl al-Kahf, said Friday that French interests “in Iraq and the region” would be “under targeting fire,” according to AFP — a warning issued after the attack rather than a direct claim of responsibility for it. The group cited the arrival of a French aircraft carrier to “the area of operations of the American Central Command” as justification.

The attack on the French position came the same night Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned a separate drone strike on Italy’s military base in Erbil, saying all Italian troops were safe. “Fortunately all our soldiers are well and safe in the bunker,” Tajani wrote on X. Italy later said it was temporarily withdrawing its military personnel from the base.

Both the French and Italian forces are stationed in the Kurdistan Region as part of the international coalition formed in 2014 to train and support regional security forces in operations against the Islamic State.

The attacks on foreign military positions came amid a broader wave of strikes on international presence in the Kurdistan Region. Earlier this week, the UAE condemned a drone attack that caused material damage near its consulate in Erbil, calling it a “blatant violation” of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and urging Baghdad and Erbil to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.

The Kurdistan Region has faced at least 200 drone, missile and rocket attacks since the war began Feb. 28, according to Community Peacemaker Teams – Iraqi Kurdistan. The IRGC and affiliated Iran-aligned armed groups have claimed responsibility for many of the attacks, which have targeted military installations, diplomatic facilities, airports, oil sites and residential areas across Erbil and Sulaymaniyah governorates.

[Source: 964Media English]