Croatian soldier safely evacuated from Lebanon

A Croatian soldier serving with the United Nations UNIFIL mission in Lebanon was safely evacuated on Thursday, the Croatian Defense Ministry announced.

The extraction was carried out as part of a German-led operation to repatriate soldiers after tensions escalated between Hezbollah and Israel following the US-Israeli attack on Iran. After leaving Lebanon, the Croatian soldier landed safely in Orléans, France, and will be returned to Croatia, the ministry said.

Defense Minister Ivan Anušić requested and received support from German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to ensure the safe withdrawal in a coordinated evacuation.

“German support for Croatia is a reflection of the close partnership and allied respect and solidarity that arise from political relations at the level of our governments, but also our ministries of defense,” Anušić said, expressing his gratitude for the assistance in what he called “currently the most challenging crisis zone in the world.”

Earlier this week, President Zoran Milanović ordered the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces to initiate the withdrawal of all Croatian soldiers from Lebanon and Iraq.

The Defense Ministry said steps have also been taken to evacuate seven Croatian soldiers serving with NATO in Iraq. These operations will proceed when conditions for safe evacuation are confirmed.