A French police dog named Diesel was killed during during a counter-terror operation in the northern Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis.
The 7-year-old Belgian Shepherd lost his life sometime in the early hours of Wednesday morning during an apartment raid targeting the alleged mastermind of the deadly Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Five police officers were injured in the line of duty during the siege.
French Police tweeted a picture of Diesel along with the news of his death on Wednesday morning. “Assault and explosives search dogs are indispensable in the missions of the operators of the raid,” police said.
People took to social media to post about the dog’s service using hashtags such as #RIPDiesel, #JeSuisUnChien (“I am a dog”) and #NotAllHeroesAreHuman. The hashtag #RIPDiesel has been used over 3,500 times, according to the social analytics site Topsy.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race , Endorses Harris to Replace Him
- Why Biden Dropped Out
- The Chaos and Commotion of the RNC in Photos
- Why We All Have a Stake in Twisters’ Success
- 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep
- Stop Feeling Bad About Sweating
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Get Our Paris Olympics Newsletter in Your Inbox
Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com