US EditionMacron Says 1 French Soldier Was Killed and 3 Injured in Attack on Peacekeepers in Lebanon
UNIFIL said the patrol was clearing explosive ordnance when it was hit by small-arms fire, leaving three other peacekeepers wounded.
- On Saturday, April 18, 2026, Staff Sgt. Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment was killed and three colleagues wounded when a UNIFIL patrol came under small-arms fire while clearing explosive ordnance near Ghandouriyeh, southern Lebanon.
- The unit was attempting to reach an isolated post cut off by recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah when the ambush occurred during a 10-day ceasefire that began Friday, creating high-risk conditions for peacekeepers.
- French President Emmanuel Macron blamed Hezbollah for the 'unacceptable attack,' demanding arrests, while the group denied involvement and urged caution pending a Lebanese army investigation. French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin said the ambush occurred "at very close range."
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attack and ordered immediate investigations to hold perpetrators accountable. France demanded authorities "immediately arrest those responsible" and ensure UNIFIL soldiers' safety.
- The death follows a March 12 drone strike in Iraq's Erbil region that killed French Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion and wounded six others. UNIFIL, deployed since 1978, has faced recurring attacks throughout successive conflicts in the region.
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Chief Sergeant Florian Montorio is the second French soldier killed in the Middle East since the start of the American attacks on Iran at the end of February. Here's what we know.
According to President Emmanuel Macron, a French soldier has been killed in the south of Lebanon. The Minister of Defence speaks of a "scarce".
French paratrooper killed in suspected Hezbollah ambush on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon
A French paratrooper was killed and three of his fellow peacekeepers wounded in a suspected Hezbollah ambush in southern Lebanon Saturday -- less than two days into a fragile 10-day cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon.
French soldier killed in attack on UN mission in south Lebanon
A French soldier was killed and three others wounded while clearing a road in southern Lebanon in an attack that UNIFIL peacekeepers and French officials said on Saturday was likely carried out by Iran-backed Hezbollah. In calls with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the "unacceptable attack", his office said in a statement. Three other members of the United Nations' UNIFIL …
Macron says Hezbollah likely killed French UNIFIL soldier in southern Lebanon
Macron named the slain soldier as Chief Sergeant Florian Montorio, while UNIFIL warned that attacks on its peacekeepers may amount to war crimes. Hezbollah denied a link to the attack • The IDF said it struck militants in southern Lebanon, citing cease-fire violations
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