Ruptly
"Defence Minister of France Catherine Vautrin paid tribute in Montauban on Thursday to Adjudant Florian Montorio, who lost his life during a military mission in Lebanon, as well as another soldier who later died from injuries sustained in the same operation. "The nation bows before the memory of one of its sons who gave his life for her. When a French soldier goes to Lebanon, he registers in a history of fidelity and commitment, a history that our military has been writing since 1978 on this land linked to France by so many trials, of faces and drawings," Vautrin said. "A history that France continues to write in adversity, alongside Lebanon, in the unwavering friendship that unites our two peoples. Lebanon is for France a story of blood and sacrifice, a story where the name Drakkar remains one of our nation's deepest wounds," she added. The reference to 'Drakkar' recalled the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, when 58 French paratroopers were killed during the Lebanese civil war, an event still seen in France as one of the most significant losses suffered by its armed forces abroad. In the more recent incident, Adjudant Florian Montorio was killed, while Corporal Anicet Girardin of the 132nd Cynotechnical Infantry Regiment was repatriated to France and later died following his return. The investigation into the circumstances is underway. Some reports have suggested possible involvement of Hezbollah, which has strongly denied any role in the incident, warning against what it described as 'premature conclusions' before investigations are completed. Other voices in the region pointed to Israel's 'repeated violations' against UN peacekeepers, including the 1996 Qana shelling during Operation Grapes of Wrath. However, no verified evidence has been publicly presented linking it directly to the attack. UNIFIL and Lebanese authorities have maintained that the situation remains under investigation, stressing that multiple armed actors operate in the area."
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