UNIFIL Pays Final Tribute to Corporal Rico Pramudia in Lebanon
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) paid final respects to Corporal Rico Pramudia, who fell after nearly a month of treatment for wounds suffered following an Israeli attack on 29 March 2026.
The final tribute was given by UNIFIL during a ceremony in Beirut on Sunday (26/4), led by the Mission Head and UNIFIL Force Commander, Major General Diodato Abagnara.
“You gave everything you had for peace in this land. For that, we pay the highest respects,” said Major General Abagnara, according to a written statement from UNIFIL monitored in Jakarta on Monday.
According to Abagnara, Corporal Rico carried out his duties under the UN flag for a noble mission: to achieve peace in southern Lebanon.
“As soldiers, as peacekeepers, we will continue your struggle. We will remain ready, united, and vigilant,” stated the UNIFIL Commander.
The ceremony in Beirut was also attended by the Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon, Dicky Komar, representatives from the Lebanese Ministry of Defence and the Lebanese Army, Brigadier General Maroun Azzi, as well as the representative of the Garuda Contingent in UNIFIL, Colonel Allan Surya Lesmana.
UNIFIL emphasised that attacks on peacekeeping forces constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701 of 2006, and could amount to war crimes.
Attacks on UNIFIL personnel must be thoroughly investigated, and all those responsible must be held accountable under applicable law, stated UNIFIL.
Corporal Rico passed away on Friday (24/4) after being treated for nearly a month for injuries sustained in an artillery attack in Adchit Al-Qusayr on 29 March, with initial findings indicating the projectile was fired from an Israeli Merkava tank.
Corporal Rico leaves behind a wife and a child, while the peacekeeping mission he was carrying out in Lebanon since early April was his first overseas assignment.
With Corporal Rico’s death, Indonesia has now lost four TNI soldiers while serving with UNIFIL in southern Lebanon in the past month.
Corporal Farizal Rhomadhon died in an incident on 29 March in the same event that initially injured Corporal Rico. Then on 30 March, Captain Inf Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and Staff Sergeant Muhammad Nur Ikhwan fell when the convoy they were escorting was attacked.
In addition to Indonesia, France has also lost two of its soldiers serving with UNIFIL after their patrol was attacked on 18 April, amid rising tensions in southern Lebanon.