French peacekeeper killed in southern Lebanon

President Macron blames the attack on Hezbollah. The Iran-backed armed group denies "any connection" to the incident.

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The soldier was serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), which confirmed that one peacekeeper had died and three others were injured, two of them seriously, when their patrol came under small-arms fire.

French President Emmanuel Macron blamed the attack on Hezbollah. The Iran-backed armed group denied "any connection" to the incident.

It comes amid heightened tensions in southern Lebanon, where peacekeepers have faced growing risks since renewed fighting between Hezbollah and Israel erupted on 2 March.

On Sunday, Unifil confirmed the French peacekeeper's body would be repatriated to Paris.