A French soldier was killed and several others injured in an attack in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. This marks the first death of a French soldier in the ongoing conflict in the area. The French army earlier stated that its troops were engaged in training exercises with Iraqi partners when the drone strike occurred.

President Macron described the attack on French forces in Erbil as unacceptable. French troops have been stationed in the Kurdistan region as part of an international coalition fighting against the Islamic State (IS) group. Several hundred French soldiers are currently deployed there to support anti-IS operations and to train local forces.

The incident highlights the continuing security risks faced by coalition forces operating in northern Iraq, where sporadic attacks still occur despite the weakening of IS influence in the region.