KSAL Reminds Of Pump Threats When KRI SIM-367 UNIFIL Contingent Sails To Lebanon

BETWEEN/Genta Tenri Mawangi.

JAKARTA - The Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, Admiral TNI Muhammad Ali, reminded the ranks of soldiers who are members of the Maritime Task Force Task Force of the Garuda XXVIII-P UNIFIL contingent regarding the threat of pirates while sailing with KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda-367 across vulnerable waters to Beirut, Lebanon.

KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda (SIM) carrying 120 Indonesian Navy soldiers from the MTF Task Force sailed from the Military Cross-Seatra Command Pier (Kolinlamil), Jakarta, Thursday.

In a briefing session on the KRI SIM-367 heli deck, Muhammad Ali emphasized that the task force commander, who is also the commander of KRI SIM-367 Marine Lt. Col. (P) Anugera Annurullah, chose safe shipping routes when the ship was in a sea crossing to Beirut.

"On its way, KRI SIM-367 will pass through Aden Bay and the Red Sea which are vulnerable areas, which we know there are several (groups) of Somali pirates," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, December 19.

He also reminded that there was a war between the Houthi group which for the past few months had been targeting Israeli-flagged ships and their allies in the Red Sea.

"I hope that KRI SIM will carry out a role in guarding the war while crossing the area," said Admiral Ali to the commanders and trunaries of KRI SIM-367 who are members of the MTF TNI Task Force Konga XXVIII-P UNIFIL.

From Jakarta, KRI SIM-367 sailed to Batam, then left Indonesian waters to Colombo (Sri Lanka), Salalah (Oman), then entered the Suez Canal, Port Said (Egypt), and finally arrived in Beirut, Lebanon.

In the same debriefing session, Admiral Ali also advised the task force soldiers to always maintain health considering that the assignment area in Lebanon has a different weather character from Indonesia.

"The mission area in Lebanon has a climate of four seasons and at certain times the condition of the Mediterranean Sea can also be very unfriendly. Complete the needs of medicines, vitamins, supplements, and carry out exercise regularly to maintain fitness," said Ali.

The TNI MTF Task Force XXVIII-P started its mission to Lebanon today after their departure was released by TNI Inspector General Lt. Gen. Muhammad Saleh Mustafa, representing the TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto, at PRIMA Field, TNI Headquarters, Cilangkap, Jakarta, Thursday morning.

The new wave of the TNI MTF Task Force consisted of 120 soldiers, all of whom were from the Indonesian Navy, then one corvette type warship from the Indonesian Navy's Koarmada II, and one Panther HS-1306 anti-submarine helicopter from the Indonesian Navy Aviation Center (Puspenerbal).

In Beirut, the MTF Task Force will continue its peace mission with UN peacekeepers from various countries, which for the past year has been carried out by the MTF TNI Task Force XXVIII-O UNIFIL.

Generally, the assignment period for the TNI MTF Task Force in Lebanon lasts for a year.

Maritime Task Force (MTF) is one of the units under the control of the United Nations Peace Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

In addition to MTF, the TNI also sent its troops to join other UNIFIL units which included the Mechanical Battalion Task Force (INDOBATT), the Headquarters/Force Headquarters Support Unit Support Unit (FHQSU) Support Task Force, the Indo Force Protection Company (FPC) Task Force, the Civil-Military Coordination Task Force / Civilian Military Coordination (CIMIC) TNI, the Military Community Outreach Unit (MCOU) Task Force, and the Task Force Level 2 Hospital.

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

Indonesia is currently still the country that sends the most soldiers to carry out peace missions with UNIFIL in Lebanon, which is 1,230 soldiers.

Pewarta : Genta Tenri Mawangi