French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday that a second French soldier, part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), has died due to an attack by Hezbollah fighters last week.
The injured soldier, Corporal Anicet Girardin, was brought back to France on Tuesday and succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.
“He sacrificed himself for France,” Macron remarked, stating that the country “honors the remarkable dedication of our military in UNIFIL, who are serving with bravery and resolve for France and peace in Lebanon.”
The French government reported that another soldier, Warrant Officer Florian Montorio, was also killed in the same attack on Saturday.
Hezbollah has rejected the claims. In a statement, it urged “care in attributing blame and accountability regarding the incident while awaiting the Lebanese army’s inquiry to thoroughly establish the details.”
UNIFIL stated earlier that its patrol was removing explosive ordnance on a road in the village of Ghanduriyah in southern Lebanon when it “was fired upon with small arms by non-state actors.”
The assault occurs during a 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon, declared by US President Donald Trump last Thursday, following the first direct discussions between Israel and Lebanon in decades that took place in Washington, DC earlier that week.
Xenix News reports that Ivana Kottasová, Ibrahim Dahman, Eugenia Yosef, and Eyad Kourdi contributed to this article.
About the Author
