عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Kurdistan President Offers Condolences Over Death of French Soldier in Iraq

President Nechirvan Barzani. (Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq)
President Nechirvan Barzani. (Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq)
TT
TT

Kurdistan President Offers Condolences Over Death of French Soldier in Iraq

President Nechirvan Barzani. (Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq)
President Nechirvan Barzani. (Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq)

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani extended on Saturday his condolences to the family of a French soldier who died in a car accident in Iraq.

“I offer my deepest condolences to his family, to President Emmanuel Macron, and to the people and government of France at this difficult time. May God Almighty bestow His mercy upon him and grant everyone comfort and patience. I wish his colleague who was injured in the same accident a speedy recovery.”

“The people of Kurdistan appreciate the support and assistance of the French military within the framework of the International Coalition Forces Against ISIS, who continue to provide support and assistance to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for the eradication of terrorism,” said Barzani.

Sergeant Baptiste Gauchot was killed in a road accident in Iraq, where he was “taking part in a training mission for the Iraqi armed forces,” Macron said on Friday.

Gauchot “was very seriously wounded when his vehicle went off the road,” France’s armed forces ministry said.

He received emergency surgery at Erbil hospital but died from his injuries, while a soldier he was with at the time is being treated in a Baghdad military hospital, it added.

In 2021, Macron stressed that “no matter what choices the Americans make, we will maintain our presence in Iraq to fight against terrorism.”

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Sharaa Denies he Wants to Turn Syria into a Version of Afghanistan

This handout image made available by the Telegram channel of the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) early on December 17, 2024 shows Ahmed al-Sharaa receiving the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in Damascus. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
This handout image made available by the Telegram channel of the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) early on December 17, 2024 shows Ahmed al-Sharaa receiving the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in Damascus. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
TT
TT

Sharaa Denies he Wants to Turn Syria into a Version of Afghanistan

This handout image made available by the Telegram channel of the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) early on December 17, 2024 shows Ahmed al-Sharaa receiving the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in Damascus. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
This handout image made available by the Telegram channel of the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) early on December 17, 2024 shows Ahmed al-Sharaa receiving the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in Damascus. (Photo by SANA / AFP)

The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has said the country is exhausted by war and is not a threat to its neighbors or to the West, denying that he wanted to turn Syria into a version of Afghanistan.

In an interview with the BBC in Damascus, he called for sanctions on Syria to be lifted.

"Now, after all that has happened, sanctions must be lifted because they were targeted at the old regime. The victim and the oppressor should not be treated in the same way," he said.

Sharaa led the lightning offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime less than two weeks ago. He is the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant group in the opposition alliance, and was previously known by his nom de guerre of Abu Mohammed al-Golani.

He said HTS should be de-listed as a terrorist organization. It is designated as one by the UN, US, EU and UK.

Sharaa denied that he wanted to turn Syria into a version of Afghanistan, saying the two countries were very different, with different traditions. Afghanistan was a tribal society. In Syria, he said, there was a different mindset.

He also told the BCC that he believed in education for women.

"We've had universities in Idlib for more than eight years," Sharaa said, referring to Syria's northwestern province that has been held by opposition fighters since 2011.

"I think the percentage of women in universities is more than 60%."