The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed this Wednesday, April 22, the death of a second French soldier who had been seriously injured during an attack against the United Nations peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon last week. Paris claims that it was an ambush that it attributes to the Shiite group Hezbollah.
First modification: 04/22/2026 - 19:26Last modification: 04/22/2026 - 19:34
The deceased soldier was identified as First Corporal Anicet Girardin, 31, who had been evacuated to France after being seriously injured on April 18.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed his death through social networks and paid tribute to the soldier, who was participating in an operation of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Girardin belonged to a unit specialized in dog training in the French army and was part of the contingent deployed in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), where France maintains a significant presence.
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Under what circumstances did the attack occur?
The incident occurred when a French unit was carrying out demining work on a road in southern Lebanon, one of UNIFIL's usual missions. During the operation, the head of the unit, non-commissioned officer Florian Montorio, died after being shot.
Girardin was seriously injured while trying to help his superior, after the group was attacked with multiple shots from close range in what French authorities described as an ambush.
There are conflicting versions about who was responsible for the attack. The French Government has directly pointed out Hezbollah as responsible. However, the Shiite group has rejected any involvement and has criticized what it considers hasty and baseless accusations.
For its part, UNIFIL indicated that the first assessments suggest that the fire came from non-state actors, presumably linked to Hezbollah, and announced the opening of an investigation into what it described as a "deliberate attack."
During a visit to Paris, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam assured that he is personally following the development of the investigations. "I have instructed the police to carry out all necessary investigations in order to identify those responsible and bring them to justice," he said.
Salam also condemned the attack and reiterated his commitment to clarifying the facts and strengthening security in the south of the country.
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Regional tension and French presence in Lebanon
The attack occurs in a context of high tension in the Middle East after the bombings launched at the end of February by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have increased instability in the region and the activity of militias allied to Tehran.
With the death of Girardin, there are now three French soldiers killed in the region since the beginning of this escalation. A month ago, another soldier died in northern Iraq in a drone attack against a Franco-Kurdish base, attributed by Paris to a pro-Iran militia.
France maintains some 700 soldiers deployed in UNIFIL, within the framework of its historical relationship with Lebanon and its participation in peacekeeping operations.
Since 1978, more than 160 French soldiers have died in Lebanon as part of military and peacekeeping missions.
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With Reuters and EFE
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