A 21-year-old French soldier deployed to Lebanon as an infantry combat instructor died this Wednesday, June 10, “hit by an accidental shot”, declared the Ministry of the Armed Forces. The accident occurred during the “preparatory phase of training”.
A French soldier deployed in Lebanon, Florian Gillet, died this Wednesday, June 10, declared the Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans in a press release sent to BFMTV. The soldier 1st class, who had been deployed “within the Saliyeh operational military partnership detachment”, was “hit by an accidental shot during the preparatory phase of training”.
The soldier was taken care of “immediately” by emergency services, according to the ministry, and received first aid on site before being transported to the hospital. He succumbed to his injuries.
Tribute from the Minister of the Armed Forces
Serving in the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment of Castres, Florian Gillet was 21 years old. He had been deployed to Lebanon since June 1 as part of an “operational military partnership mission for the benefit of the Lebanese Armed Forces as an infantry combat monitor”, according to the press release, in which the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and Army General Fabien Mandon expresses his condolences to the soldier’s loved ones.
The Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, said she was “deeply saddened by the accidental death” of the soldier, via a message published on X. “My thoughts are with his family, his loved ones and his brothers in arms,” she added.
A few minutes earlier, Pierre Schill, Chief of Staff of the Army, published on the same social network a “tribute” to the soldier, “who died today in the accomplishment of his mission in the service of France.”
Military partnership for the benefit of the Lebanese Armed Forces
Last April, two French soldiers died in Lebanon during an operation by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Anicet Girardin, 31, and Florian Montorio, 40, were killed following an ambush on April 18 in the Deir Kifa region. French authorities and the UN attributed the attack to Hezbollah, which denied any involvement.
For several weeks, the French government has been hammering home its non-belligerent position in the war in the Middle East, but also the need to return “the arms monopoly” to the Lebanese army.
The French army is currently leading an “operational military partnership for the benefit of the Lebanese Armed Forces”, within which it conducts training, according to the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
