According to the BFM TV, the Defence Staff said that the anonymity of those who signed the second letter "casts serious doubt on their existence", as well as the credibility of their claims. Moreover, the army officials noted that there was no certifiable information about the exact number of the authors either, the broadcaster reported.
The staff stressed that the army's duty was to "maintain restraint and neutrality", the channel added.
As of now, the letter was signed by over 130,000 people, Valeurs Actuelles stated on its website.
Earlier on Monday, French Interior Minster Gerald Darmanin criticised the military personnel who anonymously signed the controversial letter as lacking courage and urged them to run in elections. Meanwhile, Minister Delegate for Industry Agnes Pannier-Runacher called the statement political.
French Defence Minister Florence Parly, on her part, condemned the letter as "a big political manipulation" and accused its authors of aiming to "divide and break the nation", BFM TV said.
"This letter uses the tone and terminology of the far right. Its purpose is to divide and break our nation at a time when we need to unite more than ever. There is nothing worse than damaging the values of the Republic when we are dealing with a complex epidemiological crisis", Parly was quoted as saying by the French broadcaster.
She also noted that it was difficult to start a discussion with people when they are anonymous.
On 21 April, the French right-wing Valeurs Actuelles news magazine published a letter signed by over 1,000 military personnel, including some 20 prominent retired generals, who called on President Emmanuel Macron and his government to act against dangers of Islamism and religious fanaticism, which threaten to destroy French society. On Sunday, 9 May, the weekly published another letter in support of the first, signed anonymously by active servicemen, warning that there was a growing risk of a "civil war" in France.
