Second French peacekeeper dies after ambush blamed on Hezbollah, Macron says

Published on 22/04/2026 - 21:25 GMT+2

A 2nd French worker died connected Wednesday from wounds suffered successful a play ambush against UN peacekeepers successful Lebanon (UNIFIL) blamed connected the Iran-backed militant radical Hezbollah, President Emmanuel Macron said.

A archetypal soldier, unit sergeant Florian Montorio, was changeable dormant successful the Saturday ambush, for which Hezbollah has denied responsibility.

"Corporal Anicet Girardin...brought location yesterday from Lebanon, wherever helium was severely wounded by Hezbollah fighters, died this greeting of the consequences of his wounds," Macron wrote successful a station connected X.

One of 3 soldiers wounded successful the aforesaid attack, Girardin, a subordinate of a specializer dog-handling unit, was portion of a ngo "to wide a way booby-trapped with an improvised explosive device," Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin posted connected X.

"Coming nether sustained occurrence from concealed Hezbollah fighters astatine precise adjacent range, helium moved to assistance his conception person who had conscionable fallen, lone to beryllium earnestly deed successful turn," she added.

Macron and Vautrin offered their condolences to Girardin's household and loved ones.

He is the 3rd French worker to dice since the commencement of the warring successful the Middle East, aft Montorio and the sidesplitting of Arnaud Frion past period by an Iranian drone successful Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Both Macron and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres person blamed Iran-backed Hezbollah for the Saturday onslaught connected peacekeepers belonging to the United Nations Interim Force successful Lebanon (UNIFIL).

French soldiers successful UNIFIL "are moving bravely and determinedly successful work of France and bid successful Lebanon," Macron wrote.

Established successful 1978, the United Nations Interim Force successful Lebanon has much than 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries who patrol the Blue Line, the UN-drawn borderline betwixt Lebanon and Israel, portion besides engaging successful efforts to de-escalate tensions betwixt the 2 sides.

In August past year, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to terminate the peacekeeping unit astatine the extremity of 2026, bowing to demands from the United States and its adjacent state Israel.