TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ministry of Defense said there is no plan yet to withdraw Indonesian peacekeepers from the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The government continues to assess the situation on the ground, said Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, the Head of the Information Bureau in the Ministry of Defense's General Secretariat.
"There is not yet a policy to withdraw the troops at present. The government continues to evaluate the situation periodically in coordination with the United Nations, prioritizing the safety of personnel," Rico said when contacted on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
He added that every future step depends on the development of the situation and the mechanisms in place within the mission. He emphasized that Indonesia's presence in Lebanon is part of its commitment to the world peace mission under the UN mandate, and not a unilateral decision.
"The presence of TNI troops there is part of a multilateral operation coordinated by UNIFIL," Rico stated.
The option to withdraw troops was previously suggested by several parties, including the Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Ahmad Muzani. He urged the government to consider pulling out Indonesian soldiers if there is no safety guarantee following the attacks on peacekeepers in the area.
"In line with the constitution that mandates the protection of the nation and all citizens of Indonesia, Indonesia must withdraw its troops from the peace mission," Muzani said at the parliament complex in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Previously, three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed and five others were injured in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon on March 29-30, 2026. The first incident occurred overnight, in the Adchit al-Qusayr area, where a projectile explosion hit the UNIFIL forces, resulting in the death of an Indonesian soldier.
A day later, on March 30, 2026, another explosion occurred near Bani Hayyan, hitting a patrol vehicle and killing two TNI soldiers. These series of attacks further emphasize the growing risks faced by Indonesian peacekeepers in the conflict-ridden region.
Read: Fallen Indonesian UNIFIL Peacekeeper to Be Repatriated for Military Burial
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