French soldier killed in Lebanon by direct fire during ambush
via SeneNews1 min read
A French peacekeeper, Sergeant-Major Florian Montorio, was killed in Lebanon on Saturday after being caught in an ambush and succumbing to "direct fire," according to Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin. Montorio was on a mission to open a route to a UNIFIL post that had been isolated for several days by fighting in the area. He was ambushed by an armed group at close range and immediately hit by direct small arms fire. His comrades attempted to revive him under fire but were unsuccessful.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
Must ReadThe Israeli army announced on Saturday the establishment of a "yellow line" demarcation in southern Lebanon, similar to the one in the Gaza Strip. This announcement came as the army conducted strikes against individuals approaching its troops since the previous day. A military statement, issued on the second day of a ceasefire with Lebanon, mentioned that Israeli forces deployed south of the yellow line in southern Lebanon identified "terrorists" violating ceasefire arrangements and approaching forces from areas north of the yellow line in a manner posing an immediate threat. The statement indicated that the Israeli Air Force and ground forces attacked these individuals in several sectors of southern Lebanon, supported by Israeli artillery fire, to neutralize the threat. US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, effective from midnight local time Friday 9:00 PM GMT Thursday. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly accepted this ten-day ceasefire. The Israeli army stated it is authorized to take necessary self-defense measures against threats, and defensive actions are not limited during the ceasefire period. President Trump had previously posted on Truth Social, "Israel will no longer bomb Lebanon. They are FORBIDDEN to do so by the United States. Enough!!!" According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, Israeli bombardments in Lebanon have resulted in nearly 2,300 deaths since March
Must ReadFrench President Emmanuel Macron has accused Hezbollah of responsibility for an attack in southern Lebanon that killed French Master Sergeant Florian Montorio and injured three other French soldiers. The attack targeted UN peacekeepers. Macron stated on X that "everything suggests that Hezbollah is responsible for this attack" and demanded that Lebanese authorities immediately apprehend those responsible and fulfill their duties alongside UNIFIL. The Lebanese President also condemned the attack and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Master Sergeant Montorio, from the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment of Montauban, was killed by "direct small arms fire" while on a mission to open a route to an isolated UNIFIL post. He was ambushed by an armed group at close range, according to Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin. This incident follows the death of another French soldier, Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion, in Iraqi Kurdistan a month prior, in a drone strike attributed by Macron to a pro-Iranian militia.
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