Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono's phone call, Lebanon conveys condolences and praises the sacrifice of the Indonesian contingent

Illustration of UNIFIL troops patrolling in Lebanon. (Source: UNIFIL)

JAKARTA - Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi expressed his condolences and praised the sacrifice of the Indonesian contingent, regarding the death of TNI soldiers in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

This was conveyed by Foreign Minister Raggi when he made a telephone call with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono on Monday evening.

"I contacted Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, and conveyed my sincere condolences for the death of Indonesian soldiers who died while carrying out their duties with UNIFIL in southern Lebanon," wrote Foreign Minister Raggi on his X @YoussefRaggi social media account, as quoted (31/3).

"I strongly condemn the attack and commend the sacrifice of the Indonesian contingent and their continued efforts, along with UN peacekeepers, to maintain security and stability in the south. I also express Lebanon's gratitude and appreciation for this role," he continued.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sugiono in a post on the X @Menlu_RI social media account wrote that his party "expressed Indonesia's deep concern following recent incidents, including the attack in southern Lebanon which resulted in the death of Indonesian UNIFIL peacekeepers."

"We strongly condemn the attack and emphasize that the safety and security of UN peacekeepers must be fully respected at all times, in accordance with international law," wrote the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"We agreed to maintain close coordination and follow up on the necessary steps, while supporting efforts to de-escalate tensions and maintain regional stability," he said.

As previously reported, Indonesia and the TNI mourned the news of the death and injury of its best soldiers while on duty in the UNIFIL mission in southern Lebanon in two separate attacks.

In the Sunday attack, Praka Farizal Rhomadhon was killed, while three of his colleagues, Praka Rico Pramudia, Praka Bayu Prakoso and Praka Arif Kurniawan were injured.

In the next 24 hours, two TNI soldiers on behalf of Captain Inf Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and Sertu Muhammad Nur Ichwan were killed in the Monday attack. Meanwhile, two others, Lettu Inf Sulthan Wirdean Maulana and Praka Deni Rianto were injured.

"The recurrence of a heinous attack on Indonesian peacekeepers in a short time is an action that is completely unacceptable," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on the X social media on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Indonesia is again mourning the death of the peacekeepers and expressing solidarity with the families left behind, as well as praying for a quick recovery for the injured personnel."

"The safety and security of UN peacekeepers cannot be negotiated. Any action that endangers them is a serious violation of international law and must not be left without accountability," said the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Regarding these two incidents, "Indonesia calls for an immediate, thorough, and transparent investigation to uncover the facts, including the chronology of events and the parties responsible, and emphasizes that full accountability must be enforced," said the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.