Prabowo's Strong Condemnation in Wake of Three TNI Soldiers Killed in Attack in Lebanon
Sorrow enveloped the VIP Lounge at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport as the bodies of three TNI soldiers arrived from Lebanon. They fell while on duty in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission, following an Israeli attack on southern Lebanon.
President Prabowo Subianto farewelled the three fallen soldiers for their burial. At Soekarno-Hatta Airport, the ceremony for the three national heroes was attended by Prabowo, Indonesia’s sixth President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), and other government officials.
The tragic incident drew strong condemnation from Prabowo. He denounced the cruel actions of those disrupting peace, resulting in injuries and deaths among peacekeeping forces.
Prabowo Bids Farewell to the Deceased
The fallen were Major Inf (Posthumous) Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, Sergeant (Posthumous) Sertu Muhammad Nur Ikhwan, and Corporal (Posthumous) Farizal Rhomadhon, who died in the line of duty at the end of March. The ceremony for the three took place on Saturday, 4 April.
Families broke down in tears as the coffins were lined up during the ceremony. Families were seen embracing the coffins of the TNI soldiers.
The family members were comforted by the on-duty soldiers. They then sat in front of their respective family coffins.
After the ceremony, the three bodies were flown to their respective burial sites. Major Inf (Posthumous) Zulmi Aditya Iskandar was buried at TMP Cikutra in Bandung, Sergeant (Posthumous) Sertu Muhammad Nur Ikhwan at TMP Giri Dharmolyo II in Magelang, and Corporal (Posthumous) Farizal Rhomadhon at TMP Giripeni in Kulon Progo.
Prabowo Strongly Condemns
Prabowo stated that the deaths of the three TNI soldiers brought grief to the Indonesian nation. He condemned the incident that led to the loss of the TNI members.
“The Indonesian nation mourns the passing of three TNI soldiers in their noble duty as UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon,” Prabowo said in his Instagram post, as seen on Sunday (5/4).
In the post, Prabowo included a photo saluting the coffins of the fallen soldiers. He also shared a moment of shaking hands with the families of the TNI soldiers during the ceremony.
“We, fellow countrymen, strongly condemn every cruel act that destroys peace and causes the death of our nation’s finest soldiers, Major Inf (Posthumous) Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, Sergeant (Posthumous) M. Nur Ikhwan, Corporal (Posthumous) Farizal Rhomadhon,” Prabowo emphasised.
Prabowo said the state is present to honour the heroes’ services. He stressed that the state will safeguard the honour of the nation’s soldiers.
“The state will always be present to honour the services of our heroes, safeguard the honour of our soldiers, and ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten,” he explained.
“Let us continue the spirit and determination to maintain peace, and give no room to anyone seeking to divide our unity and harmony as a nation,” he added.