A French Special Forces soldier killed in Iraq during Mondays operation

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A member of the French Special Forces was killed in Iraq on Monday during an operation against jihadists in support of the Iraqi army, according to an announcement from the Élysée Palace on Tuesday. This raises the number of French soldiers killed in the country this month to three.

The French presidency stated, "With deep sadness and sorrow, the President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron) learned of the death of Sergeant Paratrooper Nicolas Mazier on Monday in Iraq while his unit was supporting an Iraqi unit in an anti-terrorism operation." It added that other members of his unit were injured.

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu affirmed in a statement that "France will not back down in the face of terrorism."

An Iraqi security source in Kirkuk reported on Monday evening that a joint operation by Iraqi counter-terrorism forces and French soldiers stationed at K1 base in Kirkuk fell into an ambush set by ISIS militants in the desert of Al-Aitha in Salah al-Din province, adjacent to Kirkuk.

The source added that French soldiers were injured, as were three members of the Iraqi counter-terrorism unit, noting that the clashes lasted "for more than five hours."

Two other French soldiers were killed in Iraq in August, one in a car accident and the other "during a practical exercise."

Around 600 French soldiers are deployed in the region as part of Operation Chammal, the French contribution to the international coalition established in 2014 to combat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

After its sudden rise in 2014 and seizing vast areas in Iraq and neighboring Syria, ISIS witnessed the collapse of the self-proclaimed "caliphate" following successive attacks in both countries.

However, an Iraqi military official confirmed in March that ISIS still had between 400 to 500 active fighters in Iraq.

A United Nations report published in July indicated that "counter-terrorism operations carried out by Iraqi forces continue to limit the activities of ISIS, which nonetheless maintains a low-level insurgency."

Nevertheless, jihadist operations have been contained in rural areas, while the pace of attacks in urban centers has declined, according to the same source.

The report pointed out that "the core structure of ISIS remains intact, with its membership ranging between 5,000 and 7,000 in Iraq and Syria, mostly consisting of fighters."

AFP