US Warplane Down, French Soldier Killed In Iraq As Iran War Effects Spread

"The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury. A statement said the crash was not the result of hostile or friendly fire and involved one other refueling plane. The second plane landed safely in Israel, officials said. A US official, speaking to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, said the KC-135 that crashed had as many as six service members on board."

"French President Emmanuel Macron said one soldier was killed during a drone attack in the Irbil region of Iraqi Kurdistan. This attack against our forces engaged in the fight against Daesh since 2015 is unacceptable. Their presence in Iraq is strictly within the framework of the fight against terrorism. The war in Iran cannot justify such attacks."

"It was the first confirmed death of a French soldier since the United States and Israel launched their massive air campaign against neighboring Iran. France is not participating directly in the US-Israeli war. It is not known where the drone came from or who fired it."

A US KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on March 12 following an apparent midair collision with another refueling plane, which landed safely in Israel. The crash occurred during Operation Epic Fury, the US military operation against Iran, and was not caused by hostile or friendly fire. The downed aircraft carried up to six service members whose fate remained unknown. Separately, a French soldier was killed in a drone attack in Iraq's Irbil region, marking the first confirmed French fatality since the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran began. French President Macron condemned the attack, stating French forces are in Iraq solely for counterterrorism operations against ISIS, not to participate in the Iran conflict.

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