JAKARTA: Indonesia is coordinating closely with the United Nations to repatriate the bodies of three Indonesian peacekeepers killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon last week, the Foreign Ministry has confirmed, with the remains expected to return home in the next few days.
The ministry warned of “significant challenges” during the repatriation process, citing restricted movement and heightened safety risks amid ongoing hostilities in the region.
“Under normal conditions, the journey from Beirut to Jakarta takes at least 17 hours. Given the current intensity of armed clashes, including escalating Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, movement is restricted and every step carries significant safety risks,” the ministry said in a Friday statement.
“The government of Indonesia reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the repatriation process proceeds as smoothly as possible,” it continued.
Tensions in southern Lebanon have surged in recent days as Israeli forces expand operations to push Hezbollah fighters away from the border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday ordered a broader offensive aimed at creating a deeper buffer zone, Reuters reported.
The escalation has caused mass displacement and mounting casualties, with more than one million people fleeing bombardment. Aid agencies warned the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation could become catastrophic.
The current wave of violence, which began in early March with Israel’s ground offensive in southern Lebanon, has killed more than 1,300 people, including the three Indonesian peacekeepers serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Chief Pvt. Farizal Rhomadhon was killed on Sunday by “indirect artillery fire in the vicinity” of the Indonesian base near Adchit al-Qusayr, the Foreign Ministry said.
The following day, a separate explosion in Bani Hayyan destroyed a Unifil vehicle, killing Capt Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and First Sgt Muhammad Nur Ichwan.
The incidents marked the heaviest losses for the Indonesian contingent since the conflict spread to Lebanon.
On Thursday, a ceremony at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport honoured the remains of the three soldiers, marking the “final tribute to their service and dedication to maintaining world peace.”
In its Friday statement, Jakarta emphasized that the fallen soldiers exemplified “Indonesia’s commitment to maintaining peace” as mandated by the constitution, and their sacrifice had “elevated the dignity of the Indonesian nation in the eyes of the world”. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
