3 Belgian paratroopers have been seriously injured during a military exercise in Scotland. A third paratrooper sustained minor injuries. The soldiers are from the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment that is based at Tielen in Antwerp Province.
Around 600 Belgian troops are taking part in the ‘Red Condor’ exercise. Things went badly wrong with an anti-tank weapon on Monday. A total of 3 paratroopers were injured, 2 of whom seriously. Around a dozen other soldiers suffered damage to their hearing as a result of Monday’s incident. The Defence Department says that the soldiers were given first aid at the scene before being taken to a local hospital for treatment.
In a press statement the Defence Department writes that "During the Red Condor exercise in Scotland there was a shooting incident in which 3 Belgian soldiers were injured. They were given first aid at the scene and were then taken to hospital. In addition to this, around a dozen soldiers sustained damage to their hearing”.
The Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken (Flemish nationalist) told journalists that "This was an incident with an anti-tank weapon”.
The 2 seriously injured soldiers are in a stable condition and have spoken to their families. One of them will undergo an operation in Scotland before being brought back to Belgium.
In a video posted on the social media platform X the Mr Francken says "We do all we can to train our personnel well and to give them maximum protection. But sometimes things go wrong. Get well soon. We are following developments closely. Our thoughts are also with the families”.