Kuala Lumpur: An explosion believed to involve an unidentified drone occurred near the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura on Tuesday (May 12), causing minor damage to a facility used by Malaysian military personnel.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the incident took place at about 5.30pm Malaysian time near the perimeter of the Unifil headquarters in southern Lebanon.
"The explosion occurred about 20 metres from Malaysia House, a rest facility for five Malaysian Armed Forces officers serving as military staff officers under the Unifil headquarters.
"The facility is located about 24km from Kem Marakah, the main base of the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) 850-13 contingent in southern Lebanon," he said in a statement on Wednesday (May 13)
Earlier, at 5.19pm Malaysian time, warning sirens were activated and all military staff officers stationed at the Unifil headquarters were instructed to take shelter in bunkers following a security threat alert in the operational area, he added.
"The explosion is believed to have occurred near the Unifil HQ perimeter fence and caused minor damage to both the exterior and interior sections of Malaysia House," he said.
No injuries or fatalities were reported involving Malaysian personnel or Unifil staff as all individuals were inside bunkers when the incident occurred.
"Following the blast, the area surrounding Malaysia House was temporarily sealed off to allow investigations and security inspections to be carried out by Unifil authorities and related personnel.
"Further assessments are being conducted to determine the extent of damage to the building structure and equipment, while repair works would be coordinated through the Malbatt 850-13 contingent.
"The Defence Ministry, through the Joint Forces Headquarters, will continue to closely monitor the security situation in the operational area and work closely with Unifil and relevant parties to ensure the safety of Malaysian personnel in Lebanon," Khaled said.
