Emmanuel Macron reiterated to Iraq his determination to fight the Islamic State group during a meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister, after the death of three French soldiers during the month of August, announced Wednesday the Elysee. This telephone conversation took place on Tuesday a few hours after the announcement of the death of a member of the French special forces during an anti-jihadist operation in support of the Iraqi army.
The Head of State reiterated to Mohamed Chia al-Soudani "the commitment of the France to continue the fight against Daesh, its resolute commitment within the framework of the international coalition, alongside the Iraqi government (...) as well as its support for the Iraqi population, particularly in areas liberated from Daesh," the French presidency said.
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Two other soldiers were killed in other circumstances during the month of August. According to an Iraqi security source in Kirkuk, on Monday evening, a joint operation "Iraqi anti-terrorist forces and soldiers of the French forces stationed in Kirkuk were ambushed" by jihadists of the IS group in the desert of al-Aïth, bordering the province of Kirkuk. The Arabic acronym Daesh is commonly used by the France to refer to the Islamic State group.
Nearly 600 French soldiers deployed in the region
"The Iraqi Prime Minister thanked the President of the Republic and paid tribute to the three French soldiers who died in operation in Iraq in recent days," the statement said.
About 600 French soldiers are deployed in the region as part of Operation Chammal, which includes a training component for Iraqi forces and an air support component for the international coalition against the IS group. Ten Rafale and one frigate complete the system. Special forces are also operating in Iraqi Kurdistan and northern Syria.