France announced this Saturday April 18 that a French UNIFIL soldier had died during an attack in South Lebanon. Three others were injured in what appears to be, according to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, an “ambush”.
Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday April 18 the death of a French soldier from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Three other men were injured. All were in southern Lebanon at the time of the events.
According to Emmanuel Macron, the deceased man would be chief sergeant Florian Montorio, from 17e parachute engineering regiment of Montauban, in Tarn-et-Garonne. “He fell this morning in southern Lebanon during an attack against UNIFIL”denounced the French head of state on X.
“Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah,” he declared, adding that “France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the culprits and take responsibility alongside UNIFIL.”
Chief Sergeant Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment of Montauban fell this morning in southern Lebanon during an attack against UNIFIL.
Three of his brothers in arms were injured and were evacuated.
The Nation bows with respect…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 18, 2026
A “deliberate attack” by “non-state actors”
Emmanuel Macron denounced an attack “unacceptable” during a telephone exchange with his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun and with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. An investigation has been opened to identify the authors of this “targeted attack against the French contingent” of UN forces, assured the head of the Lebanese government on
The Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, clarified on X that the French soldiers had fallen into a “ambush” tense by an armed group while they were opening a “route to a UNIFIL post isolated for several days by fighting in the area”.
In a press release, UNIFIL denounces “deliberate attack” with light weapons launched against the peacekeepers by “non-state actors, presumably from Hezbollah” during a mine clearance operation. She specifies that two of the three French soldiers injured were seriously injured.
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