Another French soldier killed in UNIFIL patrol attack

France has confirmed the death of a second soldier who was wounded in an attack on a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol in southern Lebanon, raising further concerns about the safety of peacekeepers in the region.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that soldier Anicet Girardin had died from his injuries after being evacuated to France for treatment, News.Az reports, citing TRT World.

“Anicet Girardin has died this morning as a result of his injuries. He died for France,” Macron said on X.

Girardin had been critically wounded in the same April 18 attack that killed Adjutant Florian Montorio and injured two other French personnel during a UNIFIL patrol near the town of Ghandoorieh in southern Lebanon.

According to the French Ministry of Armed Forces, the patrol came under fire during an incident involving an armed group while operating in the area as part of the UN peacekeeping mission.

Girardin was repatriated to France on April 21 but later succumbed to his injuries.

Lebanon condemns attack

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was informed of Girardin’s death and renewed his condemnation of the shooting, offering condolences to France and the UNIFIL command.

In a statement from the Lebanese presidency, Aoun said the fallen soldier had joined “a convoy of international forces’ martyrs” who had shed blood in southern Lebanon alongside members of the Lebanese army and other security forces.

He stressed that the sacrifice of international peacekeepers reflected the shared cost of maintaining stability in Lebanon’s south, an area that has remained tense amid continued cross-border violence and military operations.

News.Az 

By Ulviyya Salmanli