President Emmanuel Macron confirmed a French soldier was killed in a drone strike near Erbil, marking the first French fatality linked to the wider Middle East conflict. French forces said drones hit a training base in Mala Qara about 40 km from Erbil; several soldiers were reported wounded. A pro‑Iranian group's prior warning followed the arrival of a French aircraft carrier, but no direct claim of responsibility has been made. Italy also reported a separate drone strike on its Erbil base and temporarily withdrew personnel.
French Soldier Killed in Drone Strike Near Erbil — First French Fatality in Wider Middle East Conflict
A plume of smoke rises following an interception of a drone in Erbil, Iraq on March 12, 2026 (Shvan HARKI)(Shvan HARKI/AFP/AFP)
A French soldier has been killed in an attack in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday, marking the first French military fatality tied to the broader Middle East conflict.
What Happened
French forces said drones struck a base where they were conducting counter‑terrorism training with Iraqi counterparts. The governor of Erbil reported that two drones hit a base in Mala Qara, roughly 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the regional capital.
The French military earlier reported that six people were wounded in the attack; it remained unclear whether the soldier who later died was among those initially reported wounded.
Claims and Warnings
A pro‑Iranian Iraqi group, Ashab Alkahf, had posted a warning on its Telegram channel saying French interests were targets after the arrival of a French aircraft carrier to what it called the "area of operations of the American Central Command." The group urged "our brothers in the security forces" to avoid a base it said hosted French troops, but it did not directly claim responsibility for the strike.
Related Incidents
The soldier's death comes after a separate drone strike on an Italian base in Erbil, inside a military compound hosting other foreign troops. No injuries were reported in that attack, but Italy announced a temporary withdrawal of personnel from the base.
Macron: "The war in Iran cannot justify such attacks."
President Macron described the strike as "unacceptable" and confirmed the deceased "died for France during an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq." He reiterated that French forces in Iraq operate within "the strict framework of the fight against terrorism" and said France's posture in the conflict is "strictly defensive."
Context
Since US‑Israeli strikes on Iran last month, fighting across the region has escalated and several attacks attributed to pro‑Iranian factions have targeted areas where foreign forces are based. Soldiers from multiple countries, including France and Italy, are training Kurdish security forces in Iraqi Kurdistan as part of the Washington‑led anti‑jihadist coalition.
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