The French military and the Erbil governor confirmed that the soldiers were wounded after a drone attack against the base.
One French soldier was killed, and at least five others were wounded in a drone attack targeting a joint Peshmerga-French base in the Makhmour area of Iraq on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced.
“Today, six French soldiers providing counter-terrorism training to Iraqi partners were wounded after a drone attack in the Erbil region of Iraq,” the French army said in a statement, adding that they had been taken to the nearest medical facility.
Macron called the attack “unacceptable” and said that the French troops were stationed in the region as part of France’s support in fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
He also announced that the soldier killed in the incident was Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins from Varces. “To his family, to his brothers in arms, I want to express all the affection and solidarity of the Nation,” he added.
The news broke after Erbil Governor Omed Koshnaw said in a statement that the drone attack was in the Makhmour area, with a security source informed of the incident confirming the information to Reuters.
A similar event happened earlier on Thursday, when a drone struck an Italian base near Erbil in what the Italian defense minister called the targeting of a facility hosting NATO personnel amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The strike on Erbil’s Camp Singara caused no injuries, the Italian authorities said. “Absolutely yes. That is a NATO base within Operation Inherent Resolve, so it is also an American base,” Minister Guido Crosetto told Italian state broadcaster RAI when asked whether the attack had been intentional.
France is deploying about a dozen naval vessels, including its aircraft carrier strike group, to the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and potentially the Strait of Hormuz as part of defensive support to allies threatened by the conflict in the Middle East.
Macron promises to protect Cyprus, Europe from Iran
Macron promised that Europe would protect Cyprus, the first state on the continent to be directly affected by the war in Iran, during a visit to the Mediterranean nation on Monday.
Macron gave his statement of support during a visit to Paphos, a city in Cyprus, where he met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
“The defense of Cyprus is obviously a key issue for your country, for your neighbor, partner and friend, Greece, but also for France and, with it, the European Union,” Macron said, with Mitsotakis adding that “We will not accept that the slightest piece of European territory, like Cyprus, be exposed to danger.”
Cyprus was the first European nation to report a drone attack on one of its bases, with a source confirming to The Jerusalem Post that additional missiles fired during the first days of the war were also intended to reach Cyprus but fell short.
Miriam Sela -Eitam and Tzvi Jasper contributed to this story.