French Solider Killed in a Counterterrorism Operation in Iraq

 For the most part, the YouTube channel has left the war zone stories out of the reporting.  Mostly because YouTube does not encourage reporting on termination of life.  However, you should know that a week rarely passes when someone is not killed in Iraq while fighting terrorism.   This is one such story. 

During a counterterrorism operation north of Baghdad, a French soldier serving alongside Iraqi forces was killed in combat.

Two Iraqi soldiers and four other French soldiers were also wounded in the operation, which an Iraqi official said targeted a cell of the Islamic State.

According to the French military, Sergeant Nicolas Mazier of parachute commando No. 10 was on a reconnaissance mission with Iraqi forces about 60 miles north of Baghdad when a group of extremists attacked them.

After a shootout, Mazier was injured and died in the hospital, according to the statement. Clashes continued until Tuesday morning.

A senior Iraqi security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media said French forces were providing air support.

As a result of the U.S.-backed campaign in 2019, IS lost all territory it once controlled in Syria and Iraq. However, sleeper cells continue to carry out attacks, which have resulted in the deaths of scores of Iraqis and Syrians.

Particularly in Kirkuk, Diyala, Ninevah, and Salahaddin provinces, security has been difficult, with Iraqi forces spread thin and IS militants terrorizing residents.

In July, Mazier helped train Iraqi anti-terrorism forces in France's Chammal military operation in the region. French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed France's determination to fight terrorism alongside Iraq in a tribute to Mazier.

Three French soldiers have died in Iraq this month, one during an urban combat training exercise and another in a traffic accident.