Title: Third French Soldier Killed During Training Mission in Iraq

Two Iraqi security sources revealed to Reuters today, Tuesday, that a French soldier was killed in a four-hour firefight in Iraq when French and Iraqi forces raided an ISIS hideout. The sources added that three French soldiers and five Iraqi soldiers were injured in the clash that occurred in a rural area of Salah al-Din province, north of Iraq, on Monday evening. The French presidency confirmed the death of the soldier, whom they identified as Nicolas Mazier, a member of a French special forces unit participating in the raid with Iraqi counter-terrorism forces on the ISIS hideout. The sources indicated that French and Iraqi forces landed by helicopter in the Al-Aith area after an Iraqi airstrike on the militants' location, but they came under heavy attack. It is noteworthy that this French soldier is the third to be killed during a training mission in Iraq within two weeks. The coalition has not conducted any ground operations since January 2022, according to the French Ministry of Defense's website. The mission focuses on "air and maritime military support for Iraqi security forces," in addition to advising the Iraqi army.