Army Chief Asks Families of Troops in Lebanon Not to Worry After Three TNI Soldiers Fall

Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General Maruli Simanjuntak has asked the families of TNI soldiers currently carrying out the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission in Lebanon not to worry.

This request was made by Maruli following the deaths of three TNI soldiers who were on duty in two separate incidents.

Maruli stated that the TNI soldiers in Lebanon already know what they must do amid the escalation of conflict.

“No need to worry. Actually, they know what needs to be done. But whatever it is, there are certainly risks in the midst of such events; the important thing is to pray, hopefully everything goes well,” said Maruli after releasing the bodies of the three soldiers at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Saturday (4/4) night.

Maruli said that the TNI feels the loss with the falling of these three soldiers. He described them as selected soldiers to carry out the peacekeeping mission.

“So, hopefully, the follow-up resolution of this matter has already been planned by TNI Headquarters, the Ministry of Defence, and also perhaps on behalf of the state, hopefully it can become clearer how this incident occurred,” he said.

On the other hand, Maruli also admitted to receiving information about TNI soldiers who were injured due to a recent incident in Lebanon.

“Including that we have heard news that we ourselves are not yet too certain about receiving the latest condition. There are some who have been admitted to hospital, how many people, in the Army there are two people. Indeed, we have not received detailed information,” he said.

In total, three TNI soldiers serving as peacekeeping troops were killed in two incidents in southern Lebanon within a 24-hour period.

In its statement, UNIFIL conveyed that TNI soldier Praka Farizal Rhomadhon was killed due to a projectile explosion near one of the Indonesian posts in Adchit Al Qusayr village on Sunday (29/3).

Meanwhile, the two TNI soldiers who fell on Monday (30/3) due to an explosion from an unknown source. Kapten Inf Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and Sertu Muhammad Nur Ichwan fell in that incident.