Headlines
Six French soldiers wounded in iraq after drone attack, army says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 12, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 13, 2026
Quick Summary
Six French soldiers were injured by a drone strike in the Makhmour area near Erbil, northern Iraq, as part of increasing drone and missile hostilities by Shi‘ite militias targeting coalition forces.
Several French soldiers wounded, one officer dead in Iraq after drone attack
Details of the Drone Attack and Its Aftermath
Incident Overview
BAGHDAD/PARIS, March 13 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday condemned an attack in northern Iraq that killed one French officer and wounded several soldiers in the Erbil region.
Six French soldiers providing counter-terrorism training in the region were wounded in a drone attack, France's army said on Thursday, just hours after an Italian base was also targeted in the area.
French Military Presence in Erbil
France has hundreds of troops based in the Erbil region as part of a broader international coalition to fight Islamic State militants in the area.
Reactions and Statements
French Government Response
In a post on X, Macron said Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion "died for France" and several of our soldiers have been injured in the attack.
"This attack against our forces engaged in the fight against Daesh (ISIS) since 2015 is unacceptable," he said.
"Their (French soldiers) presence in Iraq is strictly within the framework of the fight against terrorism. The war in Iran cannot justify such attacks."
Uncertainty About the Attack's Origin
It was not immediately clear where the drone had come from.
Regional Security Context
Iraqi Shi'ite militants have picked up the pace of drone and missile attacks on U.S. interests in Iraq in the last three to four days, according to three Iraqi security sources and two sources close to the groups.
Erbil Governor Omed Koshnaw said in a statement that the drone attack was in the Makhmour area.
Related Military Activity in the Region
Italian Military Base Attack
An overnight airstrike that hit an Italian military base in Iraqi Kurdistan was deliberate, the Italian defence ministry said earlier on Thursday, targeting a facility hosting NATO personnel.
French Naval Deployment
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.
Broader Middle East Conflict
International Reactions
The leaders of Iran, Israel and the United States all voiced defiance and vowed to fight on as the Middle East war approached the two-week mark on Friday, killing thousands of people, disrupting the lives of millions of others and shaking financial markets.
(Reporting by John Irish, Ahmed Rasheed and Mrinmay Dey; Editing by David Gregorio and Michael Perry)
Key Takeaways
- •Six French troops wounded during a drone attack in Iraq’s Erbil region near Makhmour, as confirmed by France’s army (Reuters)
- •The incident comes amid a surge in drone and missile assaults by Iraqi Shi‘ite militias on U.S. and coalition interests over recent days (Reuters)
- •Tensions in the region are escalating—just hours earlier, an Italian military base in Iraqi Kurdistan was struck by a missile, reinforcing growing threats against foreign forces (Wikipedia)
Frequently Asked Questions about Six French soldiers wounded in Iraq after drone attack, army says
1How many French soldiers were wounded in the Iraq drone attack?
Six French soldiers were wounded in the drone attack in northern Iraq's Erbil region.
2Where did the drone attack on French soldiers take place?
The attack took place in the Erbil region of northern Iraq, specifically in the Makhmour area.
3What was the role of the French soldiers in Iraq?
The French soldiers were in Iraq providing counter-terrorism training to Iraqi partners.
4Were there any other attacks in the region around the same time?
Yes, an Italian military base in Iraqi Kurdistan was also targeted overnight by an airstrike.
5Who is suspected of carrying out the drone and missile attacks in Iraq?
Iraqi Shi'ite militants have recently increased drone and missile attacks on U.S. and coalition interests in Iraq.
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