French UNIFIL Troops Killed on Patrol, Indonesia: Peacekeepers Must Not Be Targets

UNIFIL troops patrol. (Source: UNIFIL)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government expressed its condolences over the death of French peacekeepers who were part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission, stressing that it was unacceptable, worrying about the recurrence of attacks that killed personnel under the flag of the United Nations (UN).

This incident occurred less than a month from two separate incidents that killed three Indonesian UNIFIL soldiers and injured five others late last month.

"The Government of the Republic of Indonesia expresses its deepest condolences and sympathy to the Government and people of the French Republic for the death of a peacekeeper and the serious injuries suffered by others in the incident against UNIFIL on April 18, 2026," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted on social media X, as quoted Sunday (19/4).

"The attack, which took place during a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, is unacceptable. All parties must show maximum restraint, respect the sovereignty of countries, and uphold international law, including international humanitarian law," said the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

One French UNIFIL personnel was killed and three others were wounded, two of whom were seriously injured, as a result of an attack with light weapons on Saturday, quoted from The Associated Press.

The attack near the village of Ghandouriyeh in southern Lebanon came after a 10-day ceasefire took effect at midnight Thursday between Israel and Hezbollah.

Both French President Emmanuel Macron and UNIFIL blamed Hezbollah, but the Lebanese militant group denied its involvement.

UNIFIL troops from various countries. (Wikimedia Commons/Irish Defence Forces)

"The ongoing negotiations and the ceasefire must be fully respected and not be disturbed by violent acts that risk triggering further escalation and endangering peacekeepers in the field," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Before the Saturday incident, three TNI soldiers who were part of UNIFIL were killed late last month. Kopda (Anm) Farizal was killed by a projectile explosion near the UNIFIL facility in Adchit Al Qusayr on Sunday, March 29. The incident also caused Praka Rico Pramudia, Praka Bayu Prakoso and Praka Arif Kurniawan to be injured.

In the next 24 hours, two TNI soldiers on behalf of Major Inf. (Anm) Zulmi and Serka (Anm) Nur Ichwan were killed by an explosion that hit a UN convoy near Bani Hayyan in the Monday attack. Meanwhile, two others, Lettu Inf Sulthan Wirdean Maulana and Praka Deni Rianto were injured.

The death of the Pracis soldier adds to the long list of peacekeepers under the UNIFIL flag who have died while carrying out peacekeeping duties.

Until the event that killed the TNI soldier, the number of UNIFIL personnel who died as a result of evil acts has reached 97 people since the mission began in March 1978, quoted from Euronews.

In total, more than 330 UNIFIL personnel have died while on duty, the highest number of casualties of any UN peacekeeping operation.

"We remain deeply concerned about the continued attacks on UNIFIL. Peacekeepers should never be targeted; such actions can constitute war crimes," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized.

"Indonesia stands in solidarity with France and other countries that contribute troops," he continued.

"We reaffirm our joint commitment to strengthen protection for UN peacekeepers, as reflected in the Joint Statement on the Safety and Security of UN Personnel of April 9, 2026," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Illustration of UNIFIL patrol in southern Lebanon. (Wikimedia Commons/Irish Defence Forces)

Previously, UNIFIL said a patrol that was clearing explosives along a road in the village of Ghandouriyeh on Saturday to re-establish links with an isolated UNIFIL position was attacked by small arms fire from a non-state actor.

UNIFIL said one peacekeeper died from his wounds and three others were wounded, two of them seriously.

"All indications are that the responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah," Macron wrote on social media.

"France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest those responsible and hold them accountable together with UNIFIL," he continued.

President Macron identified the soldier killed as Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio who was stationed in the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment.

In Beirut, three judicial officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said the Lebanese Military Court had opened an investigation into the attack and was in contact with the military intelligence department to identify the perpetrators.

Hezbollah denied involvement in the attack, calling for caution in blaming and judging until the Lebanese military completes its investigation to determine the true circumstances.

Hezbollah said the peacekeepers should coordinate with the Lebanese military in their operations.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2, when the Iran-backed group launched rockets into Israel after the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, killing high-ranking officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The war, in which Israel invaded parts of Lebanon, left nearly 2,300 people dead in Lebanon, more than 1 million people displaced, and caused widespread damage.