Defence Ministry: No Plans Yet to Withdraw TNI Troops from Lebanon

The Ministry of Defence has stated that there is no policy yet to withdraw Indonesian National Army (TNI) troops from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission. Head of the Defence Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defence Secretariat General, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, said the government is continuing to evaluate the situation on the ground.

“At present, there is no policy to withdraw the troops. The government continues to evaluate the situation periodically with the UN, while prioritising the safety of personnel,” Rico said when contacted on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.

According to him, any future steps will depend on developments in the situation and the applicable mechanisms within the mission. He stated that the presence of Indonesian troops in Lebanon is part of the commitment to the global peacekeeping mission under the UN mandate, and not a unilateral decision.

“The presence of TNI troops there is part of a multilateral operation coordinated by UNIFIL,” Rico said.

The option to withdraw troops previously came from several parties. One of them was voiced by MPR Chairman Ahmad Muzani. He urged the government to consider withdrawal if there is no safety guarantee, following the incident of attacks on peacekeeping forces in the area.

“In accordance with the constitution which mandates protecting the entire nation and Indonesian blood, Indonesia should withdraw its troops from the peacekeeping mission,” Muzani said at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, 31 March 2026.

Previously, three TNI soldiers were killed and five others injured in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon on 29–30 March 2026. The first incident occurred from the night of 29 March to the early hours of 30 March in the Adchit al-Qusayr area, when a projectile explosion hit the UNIFIL troop area, killing one TNI soldier.

A day later, on 30 March 2026, another explosion occurred near Bani Hayyan and hit a patrol vehicle, killing two TNI soldiers. This series of attacks underscores the increasing risks faced by Indonesian peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone.