13 May 2025 , 13:12
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Three Belgium soldiers have been wounded in a ‘shooting incident’ at a military base in Scotland.
The incident happened on Monday during a large-scale operation named Red Condor, which is currently taking place in Kinloss Barracks, a former RAF base in Moray.
Belgium’s defence ministry told the BBC that two of the soldiers were in a stable condition, with one expected to undergo surgery in Scotland before returning to Belgium.
The third was taken to hospital with minor injuries and has since been discharged.
In a post on X, prime minister Bart De Wever offered his condolences to the injured soldiers and their families.
He wrote: ‘I have received the sad news that three soldiers from the Third Parachute Battalion were injured during an exercise in Scotland.’
‘I wish the injured a speedy recovery. My thoughts are with their loved ones.’
Belgium’s defence ministry said approximately 10 other soldiers suffered hearing damage.
An investigation has been opened to shed light on the exact circumstances of the incident.
Defence minister Theo Francken said: ‘We do everything to train, train and protect our personnel as best we can, but sometimes things don’t go as planned.’
As many as 600 soldiers have travelled from Belgium to Scotland for the exercise, supported by Britain’s defence ministry.
On Saturday, large convoys of Belgian Armed Forces vehicles were spotted entering Kinloss Barracks.
Red Condor is part of the operational preparation of the third Parachute Battalion and aims to achieve their ‘Special Operations Land Task Group’ (SOLTG) certification.
Head of Investigations