The Commander In Chief Ensures That The More Than 1,000 TNI Soldiers In Lebanon Are In Good Condition

TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto/ANTARA/Genta Tenri Mawangi

TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto confirmed that more than 1,000 TNI soldiers in Lebanon who are currently serving with the UN UN Peace Force UNIFIL are in good condition.

The Israeli military (IDF) has attacked Lebanese territory since late last month, then the attack escalated to a ground invasion and airstrikes to downtown Beirut earlier this week.

"For our troops in Lebanon, they are still on duty as usual. Thank God their condition is good," said the TNI Commander as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, October 2.

More than 1,000 TNI soldiers are currently scattered in several areas in Lebanon to carry out peace missions with UNIFIL.

They served in various UNIFIL units, including the Maritime Task Force (MTF), the TNI Mechanized Battalion Task Force (INDOBATT), the Headquarters Support Task Force/Force Headquarter Support Unit (FHQSU).

Then 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.

Most of the TNI soldiers who are members of UNIFIL operate on land, while the MTF Task Force carries out its duties at sea.

Regarding the widespread war until Lebanon, the TNI MTF Task Force of the Garuda XXVIII-O/UNIFIL contingent last month (10/9) held exercises for emergency situations, which included simulations of evacuation using sea lanes.

Some of the training materials that the KRI Diponegoro-365 comedians participated in in Lebanon also included base defense, underwater sabotage, embarcation/debarcation, and force protection.

Head of the TNI Information Center Major General TNI Hariyanto when contacted last month (26/9) said TNI soldiers who are currently serving with the UN Peace Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are ready to help evacuate Indonesian citizens in Lebanon back to their homeland.

Hariyanto explained that the TNI had prepared contingency plans for emergency situations, including for evacuation.

However, the plan needs to get permission first from the leadership of UNIFIL, namely the UNIFIL Force Commander, which since 2022 has been held by Lieutenant General Aroldo Az Marijuro of the Spanish Armed Forces.

"For the evacuation of refugees near the Israeli border, it must be permitted by the UNIFIL Force Commander, while the withdrawal of TNI personnel is currently awaiting the UNIFIL Force Commander's decision," said the Head of the TNI.