A member of an elite French commando unit was killed Monday in Iraq whereas “supporting an Iraqi unit in an anti-terrorist operation”, French President Emmanuel Macron’s workplace mentioned Tuesday.
Sergeant Nicolas Mazier, an air pressure paratrooper, “fell in combat while carrying out his mission”, the Elysee Palace mentioned in an announcement, expressing Macron’s “profound respect” for his “sacrifice”.
It mentioned different troopers from the unit had been additionally wounded.
France’s chiefs of defence workers mentioned in an announcement that Mazier was mortally wounded and 4 extra troops harm throughout “a reconnaissance operation supporting Iraqi forces around 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Baghdad”.
When the Iraqis had been attacked by “a group of terrorists in fortified positions”, the French “immediately responded to support their partners, inflicting serious losses on the enemy,” the navy headquarters added.
An Iraqi safety supply in northeastern Kirkuk mentioned that Iraqi and French troops had been ambushed by ISIS late Monday in neighbouring Salah al-Din province.
The battle lasted “more than five hours” and noticed three members of Iraq’s anti-terrorist forces wounded in addition to the French casualties, the supply added.
Mazier is the third French soldier to lose his life this month in Iraq, the place the nation’s troops kind a part of Operation Inherent Resolve, a years-long marketing campaign by a world coalition in opposition to the Islamic State group.
Two males, Sergeant Baptiste Gauchot and officer Nicolas Latourte, had been killed in separate incidents in August, the primary in a visitors accident and the second throughout a coaching train.
Around 600 French troops based mostly throughout the Levant and Gulf area are concerned in Inherent Resolve.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
