Repatriation of 3 Fallen Soldiers in Lebanon Accelerated, Conflict Situation Hinders Process
Headquarters of the Indonesian National Armed Forces is accelerating the process of repatriating the bodies of three Indonesian peacekeeping soldiers who fell while carrying out their mission in Lebanon. The repatriation process is targeted to be completed by Friday (3/4) or Saturday (4/4) at the latest, but it remains hampered by cross-border administrative matters and limited flight access from the conflict area.
Commander of the TNI Peacekeeping Mission Centre (PMPP), Major General TNI Iwan Bambang Setiawan, stated that the three bodies have been evacuated from the UNIFIL post to a hospital in Beirut. The embalming process has been completed, and the bodies are now laid in coffins awaiting the next stages.
According to him, the biggest obstacle at present is no longer the handling of the bodies, but rather the completion of official documents that are an absolute requirement for repatriation to Indonesia. At least six letters still need to be finalised by UNIFIL and the Lebanese government.
“We are still waiting for the administrative processing from both UNIFIL and the Lebanese government, as there are about six documents that must be complete for the bodies to be sent to Indonesia,” said Iwan, quoted from Antara on Wednesday (1/4).
He explained that the security situation in Lebanon is also complicating the evacuation process. Air routes from the country are very limited because flight operations depend on rapidly changing field conditions.
Currently, only Middle East Airlines (MEA) is recorded as operating in the area. However, the Lebanese national airline is said not to fly on a regular basis and is highly dependent on the security dynamics in the conflict zone.
This situation requires the TNI to act swiftly yet carefully, so that all administrative requirements and transportation modes can be available almost simultaneously.
“We hope everything is facilitated. Hopefully, by Friday or Saturday at the latest, all letters will be completed, and the bodies can be immediately returned to the homeland,” Iwan stated.
Amid the focus on repatriating the fallen victims, the TNI also ensures that the other four soldiers who were injured in the Lebanon incident are in stable condition. Several personnel are said to have undergone surgery and are now under close monitoring by the local medical team.
“Alhamdulillah, the injured ones’ conditions are improving. Some have already been operated on and are now gradually stabilising. Please pray that all our soldiers under treatment can recover soon,” he added.
TNI Headquarters, continued Iwan, is continuously coordinating intensively with Lebanese authorities as well as the United Nations headquarters in New York to expedite the issuance of travel documents for the three soldiers.
Previously, three TNI personnel who were part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission were reported to have died in two separate incidents at the end of March 2026.
Based on TNI data, the three are Chief Soldier Farizal Rhomadhon, Sergeant One Muhammad Nur Ichwan, and Captain Inf Zulmi Aditya Iskandar.
Farizal died due to an indirect artillery attack near Adchit Al Qusayr, southern Lebanon, on Sunday (29/3). Meanwhile, Nur Ichwan and Zulmi fell due to a vehicle explosion near Bani Haiyyan on Monday (30/3).
The government is providing compensation for the families of the TNI soldiers who fell in Lebanon.
Three TNI soldiers who fell in the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon have received posthumous promotions as well as state compensation.