Alert For Escalation Of Attacks On Gaza, UNIFIL TNI Soldiers In Lebanon Military Exercise

JAKARTA - TNI Soldiers who are members of the United Nations Peace Force (UNIFIL) in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are undergoing a series of exercises to anticipate the worst possibility of an escalation of attacks on Gaza, Palestine.

Since the war broke out in Palestine and Israel on October 7, 2023, tensions have spread from Israel-Lebanon borders, including the Blue Line 'demarcation line that separates Israeli and Lebanese territory.

The Commander of the Maritime Task Force (MTF) of the TNI Garuda XXVIII-N UNIFIL Contingent, Marine Lieutenant Colonel (P) John David Narasakti Sondakh, said the exercise took place on November 1, 2023.

The activity was also witnessed by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia for Lebanon Y. Thohari.

The purpose of the exercise, he conveyed, was to increase the preparedness of soldiers in dealing with various possibilities during tensions, the most important thing is if the UNIFIL Head of Mission/Team Commander (HoM/FC) increases the preparedness status of the "Red Alert" to the most important level, namely Black Alert.

Some of the training materials that the soldiers in Lebanon participated in include base defense, air defenses, against underwater sabotage, lockdown arrangements (placement of troops and defense equipment), embarkation-debarkation, evacuation of air routes, protection of Indonesian citizens (WNI), and protection of troops (force protection).

"If the situation worsens and the order to withdraw (force) is granted, then evacuation by sea to Cyprus is an option when Raff Hariri Airport (in Lebanon, ed.) cannot be operated and land routes are declared unsafe," said John David Sondakh as quoted from the official broadcast of the Indonesian Navy Information Service in Jakarta, Friday.

Outside Cyprus, another safe point for evacuation is Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.

He said that in Lebanon there are 222 Indonesian citizens and 1,229 TNI soldiers who are currently members of the UN Peace Forces in Lebanon.

John also conveyed the final instructions from the UNIFIL HoM/FC Major General Aroldo Lazaro Saenz the soldiers remained on standby and remained on duty as usual. He explained that TNI soldiers who are members of UNIFIL, especially in the Maritime Task Force unit carry out routine tasks, including making the picture of the tactical situation of air and surface as the basis for the leadership (HoM/FC) to make decisions, then communicating with related units to reduce tension and stop conflicts in UNIFIL's task areas, namely in southern Lebanon and along the Israel-Lebanon land and sea border.

Of the 1,229 TNI soldiers in Lebanon (TNI Task Force for the Garuda UNIFIL 2023 Contingent), 850 of them are members of the TNI Mechanical Battalion (INDOBATT) Task Force, 155 FHQSU XXVI-01 soldiers, 39 soldiers at the East Military Police Sector (SEMPU) XXV-O, nine Hospital Task Force (RS) Level 2, 18 soldiers at MCOU XXX-M, seven CIMIC XXXI-M soldiers, 11 soldiers as military staff (MILSTAFF), and 21 soldiers as staff officers (SO).

Most of them, especially those who are members of the Headquarters/Force Headquarter Support Unit (FHQSU), the Indo Force Protection Company (FPC) Task Force, the Civil-Military Coordination Task Force / Civil Military Coordination (CIMIC) TNI, the Military Community Outreach Unit (MCOU) Task Force, and the Level 2 Hospital Task Force based at the Sudirman Camp Headquarters at the UNIFIL Naquara Headquarters.