a soldier of the French special forces killed Monday, announces the Elysée

2023-08-29 12:03:00

“It is with very deep emotion that the President of the Republic learned of the death of Sergeant Nicolas Mazier”, announced the Élysée.

By MP with AFP “It is with very deep emotion that the President of the Republic learned of the death of Sergeant Nicolas Mazier of the Air Parachute Commando No. 10, killed yesterday in Iraq while his unit was supporting an Iraqi unit in an anti-terrorist operation”, announced the French presidency. (Illustrative image) © JAAP ARRIENS / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP Published on 08/29/2023 at 12:03

A French special forces soldier was killed Monday in Iraq during an anti-terrorist operation in support of the Iraqi army, the Elysee announced on Tuesday.

“It is with very deep emotion that the President of the Republic learned of the death of Sergeant Nicolas Mazier of Air Parachute Commando No. 10, killed yesterday in Iraq while his unit was supporting an Iraqi unit in an anti-terrorist operation” , announced the French presidency, adding that other members of his unit had been injured alongside him.

Faced with terrorism, France will not back down.

“The nation mourns again today one of its sons. While on a counterterrorism mission in Iraq, Sergeant Nicolas Mazier came under enemy fire. I extend my condolences to his family, friends and brothers in arms. Faced with terrorism, France will not back down, ”reacted the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, in a press release.

READ ALSOIn Iraq, the immense work of restoring the heritageAccording to an Iraqi security source in Kirkuk, Monday evening, a joint operation “Iraqi anti-terrorist forces and soldiers from the French forces stationed at the K1 base in Kirkuk came under attack” from jihadists from the Islamic State (IS) group in the province of Salahedine, in the al-Aïth desert, bordering the province of Kirkuk. French soldiers were injured, she added, as well as three members of the Iraqi counter-terrorism service. According to her, the armed clashes lasted “more than five hours”.

Two other French soldiers were killed in Iraq in August, one in an accident and the second during an “operational exercise”. Some 600 French soldiers are deployed in the region as part of Operation Chammal, the French component of the operation of the international coalition Inherent Resolve against the Islamic State group, created in 2014.