Rising Toll: The Chronology of Two Fallen TNI Soldiers Due to Israeli Attack in Lebanon
Two TNI soldiers have again fallen due to an Israeli attack in Lebanon. The TNI soldiers died from an explosion near the Bani Hayyan area in southern Lebanon.
According to the official UNIFIL website (31/3/2026), two TNI soldiers were killed in an attack in southern Lebanon on Monday (30/3). The explosion of unknown origin destroyed the vehicle carrying the TNI soldiers.
“This is the second fatal incident in the last 24 hours. We reiterate that no one should lose their life for the sake of peace,” stated the official remarks on the UNIFIL website.
In the incident, a third peacekeeper suffered serious injuries, and a fourth peacekeeper was also injured. UNIFIL expressed condolences to the victims and their families who sacrificed their lives for peace.
“We have launched an investigation to determine what happened,” it explained.
UNIFIL assessed that deliberate attacks on peacekeepers constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolutions, as well as a war crime.
“The human cost of this conflict is too high. Violence, as we have said before, must end,” UNIFIL wrote.
Three TNI Soldiers Fallen
According to Reuters, a total of three TNI soldiers have fallen during peacekeeping duties in Lebanon. Two TNI soldiers were killed following an explosion from an unknown source near Bani Hayyan. Two other soldiers were injured in the explosion.
Meanwhile, another TNI soldier was killed on Sunday night (29/3). The victim, identified as Private First Class Farizal Rhomadhon, died after a projectile exploded near one of the group’s positions near Adchit al-Qusayr village in southern Lebanon. Another peacekeeper was seriously injured at that time.
The death on Sunday was the first among UN peacekeeping forces in the new war between Israel and Hezbollah that erupted on 2 March.
“These are two separate incidents, and we are investigating them as two separate incidents,” said UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that attacks on peacekeepers are a grave violation of international humanitarian law and can be considered war crimes.
“We strongly condemn this unacceptable incident—peacekeepers must not be targeted,” said UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix to reporters during a briefing on Monday.
TNI Soldiers Fall While Escorting UNIFIL
Head of the Defence Information Bureau (Karo Infohan) of the Ministry of Defence Secretariat General, Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, stated that two TNI soldiers fell in southern Lebanon while carrying out escort duties for UNIFIL forces on Monday.
“The incident in southern Lebanon affected TNI Task Force personnel who were carrying out escort duties to support UNIFIL operational activities,” said Rico, quoted by Antara.
Rico did not explain in detail the cause of the two TNI personnel’s deaths. There are reports that the two personnel fell while escorting a convoy to retrieve the body of another UNIFIL soldier.
Antara sought confirmation on this information from the Head of the TNI Headquarters Information Centre, Major General TNI Aulia Dwi Nasrullah. However, as of now, Aulia has not responded to the confirmation attempt.
“The incident occurred amid increasing intensity of combat in the area, and to date, the exact cause of the incident is still under investigation by UNIFIL according to the applicable mechanisms,” Rico added.
To date, the Ministry of Defence is still coordinating with UNIFIL to ensure the safety of the soldiers on duty in Lebanon.
“The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Defence and TNI continues to coordinate closely with UNIFIL headquarters to ensure the safety of all personnel and to guarantee the best handling for the victims,” Rico explained.