On Saturday, April 18, President Emmanuel Macron announced the death of Sergeant-Chef Florian Montorio, “killed in action for France” in southern Lebanon. The President emphasized that it is believed that Hezbollah is responsible for the attack that led to Montorio’s death. Two other French soldiers are in a serious condition.
Sergeant-Chef Florian Montorio, a soldier in the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment, died on April 18 in southern Lebanon during an attack on the UNIFIL mission, as stated by President Emmanuel Macron. The President mentioned that Montorio “fell this morning in southern Lebanon during an attack on UNIFIL. Three of his comrades were injured and evacuated.” According to the President, there are strong indications that Hezbollah is responsible for this attack. The Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, added that the French soldier was ambushed by an armed group at very close range.
The Minister of the Armed Forces reported that the Sergeant-Chef was immediately hit by gunfire from a light weapon. The Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces provided more details about the soldier’s death, mentioning that during a mission to open a route to resupply a isolated UN post, Montorio and his patrol came under fire and despite immediate medical assistance, he could not be saved.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that the shots responsible for the soldier’s death likely came from non-state actors. The Lebanese President condemned the attack on the French peacekeepers and promised to hold those responsible accountable.
The Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans, Alice Rufo, emphasized that there is a pressing need for a thorough investigation to shed light on the incident. Meanwhile, the pro-Iranian Shiite movement Hezbollah denied any involvement in the incident.
The health condition of the other injured French soldiers is a cause for concern, with two of the three in critical condition.
Hezbollah has denied any responsibility for the incident involving the UN peacekeeping forces. Florian Montario is the second French military member to be killed by allies of Tehran since the tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran began. Adjudant-Chef Arnaud Frion was killed in a drone attack in Iraqi Kurdistan in mid-March.
Published on April 18 at 6:59 pm by Gabriel Gadré and Lola Uguen.
