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Second French UNIFIL Peacekeeper Dies After Lebanon Ambush

The UN demands a swift probe with prosecutions over an assault it says may constitute a war crime.

Overview

  • Chief Corporal Anicet Girardin died after being evacuated to France, following the April 18 attack on a UN patrol in southern Lebanon that also killed Warrant Officer Florian Montorio.
  • UN and UNIFIL say non-state gunmen presumed to be Hezbollah opened fire as the patrol checked for suspected roadside bombs, prompting formal investigations.
  • French President Emmanuel Macron blames Hezbollah for the ambush, while the group denies any involvement.
  • The UN says attacks on peacekeepers violate international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701, and it urges prosecutions; Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says he is directing police to identify the shooters.
  • UNIFIL reports an Indonesian corporal has died of wounds from a March 29 strike, bringing to six the number of peacekeepers killed since fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on March 2.