Foreign Minister Sugiono's Remarks on Proposal to Withdraw TNI from Lebanon
Foreign Minister Sugiono has responded to the proposal to withdraw the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) from Lebanon. Currently, several TNI personnel are stationed in the country bordering Israel as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission.
The proposal to withdraw TNI from the mission emerged following the death of a soldier amid attacks between the Israeli military and armed groups in southern Lebanon. The incident occurred on Sunday, 29 March 2026. Sugiono stated that he has not yet heard the proposal officially for the government to pull out the Indonesian contingent from Lebanon.
“To be frank, I’ve just heard about it; it hasn’t reached me yet,” Sugiono said from Tokyo, Japan, in a statement received by Tempo on Monday evening, 30 March 2026.
Nevertheless, Sugiono conveyed that the idea could be considered. “Of course, if there are steps in that direction, it will certainly be discussed further,” he added.
The Israeli attacks in Lebanese territory at the end of March have killed three TNI soldiers serving in the UNIFIL mission. On 29 March 2026, one TNI soldier was killed, and three others sustained minor to severe injuries. The fallen TNI soldier was Chief Private Farizal Rhomadhon, a member of Infantry Battalion 113/Jaya Sakti.
A day later, the Ministry of Defence confirmed the deaths of two more TNI soldiers due to the escalation in Lebanon. The two military personnel who died on Monday, 30 March, were carrying out the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission.
“Two TNI soldiers are reported to have been killed, while two others sustained severe injuries,” said the Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, in his statement on Tuesday, 31 March 2026.
On 30 March, Deputy Chairman of Commission I of the DPR, Dave Akbarshah Fikarno, called on the government to evaluate the effectiveness of TNI’s presence in the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. The request was made following the death of one TNI soldier due to the impact of the battle between Israel and Hezbollah on Sunday, 29 March 2026.
He urged Indonesia to follow Italy’s plan to withdraw troops from the conflict area. “If the conditions cannot indeed be declared safe, it would be advisable for the government to carry out a withdrawal and evaluation of our soldiers’ presence in Lebanon,” he said at the Parliamentary Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday, 30 March 2026.
According to Dave, the incident of the TNI soldier’s death during the peacekeeping mission is a strong signal for Indonesia to question the mission’s success. Instead of peace, the Golkar Party politician said what is happening in Lebanon is fighting, even killing Indonesian soldiers. “Is our presence useful for maintaining peace or just a target of attacks from the Israel Defense Forces?” he said.