UN: Indonesian Peacekeeping Troops' Vehicle Destroyed in Lebanon

UN Deputy Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, stated that two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in an explosion near Bani Hayyan, Lebanon, on Monday, 30 March 2026. He said the explosion hit personnel from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) who were escorting logistics. “The explosion struck the UNIFIL logistics convoy, destroying their vehicles,” he said in a video statement on the UN website on Tuesday, 31 March 2026. Lacroix said the source of the explosion that killed two TNI soldiers and injured two others has not yet been determined. UNIFIL, he said, is investigating the explosion incident in that Eastern Sector area. He also highlighted an explosion the previous day that caused one TNI soldier to be killed and three others to suffer serious injuries. He extended condolences to the victims’ families and wished recovery to the injured soldiers. The UN, he said, strongly condemns the attack incident against peacekeeping troops in Lebanon. “Peacekeepers must not be targeted. All actions that endanger them must be stopped,” he said. He emphasised that peacekeeping troops serving in the UNIFIL mission will remain in the field to carry out their duties as mandated by the Security Council. Therefore, he urged all parties to respect obligations and ensure the safety and security of peacekeeping troops. In a separate statement, the Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, said two TNI soldiers fell in the peacekeeping mission assignment. The two soldiers were hit by an attack due to the increasing intensity of fighting in southern Lebanon. “The incident in southern Lebanon impacted TNI Task Force personnel who were carrying out escort duties to support UNIFIL operational activities,” Rico said in a written statement on Tuesday, 31 March 2026. He said the cause of the incident is still under further investigation. According to Rico, the exact cause of the incident that led to the deaths of two TNI soldiers is being investigated by UNIFIL. He said two other TNI soldiers also suffered serious injuries. The two soldiers have been intensively treated at a medical facility in Beirut, Lebanon. The Ministry of Defence and TNI Headquarters have not yet officially released the identities of the soldiers who became victims in Lebanon. TNI Information Centre Head, Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah, had not responded to messages when asked about the victims’ identities. Over a two-day period at the end of March, three TNI soldiers serving as UNIFIL peacekeepers were killed in Lebanon due to attacks from Israel. Five other Indonesian military personnel also suffered minor and serious injuries.