March 31, 2026 | 12:20 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, stated that two Indonesian peacekeeping forces were killed in an explosion near Bani Hayyan, Lebanon, on Monday, March 30, 2026. He mentioned that the explosion targeted the personnel of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) who were escorting logistics.
"The explosion hit the UNIFIL logistics convoy, destroying their vehicles," he said in his video statement on the UN website on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Lacroix mentioned that the origin of the explosion, which resulted in the death of two Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) soldiers and injury of two others, has not been determined. He stated that UNIFIL is currently investigating the explosion incident in the East Sector.
He also highlighted the explosion the day before, which caused one TNI soldier to die and three others to be seriously injured. He expressed condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the recovery of the injured soldiers.
He emphasized that the UN strongly condemns the attack on peacekeeping forces in Lebanon. "Peacekeeping forces should not be targeted. All dangerous acts must be stopped," he said.
He reaffirmed that the peacekeeping forces serving in the UNIFIL mission will continue to carry out their duties as mandated by the Security Council. Therefore, he urged all parties to respect their obligations and ensure the safety and security of the peacekeeping forces.
In a separate statement, the Head of Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defense Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait stated that two TNI soldiers died in the peacekeeping mission. The two soldiers were attacked due to the increased intensity of the fighting in Southern Lebanon.
"The incident in Southern Lebanon has impacted the personnel of the TNI Task Force who were escorting to support the operational activities of UNIFIL," said Rico in his written statement on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
He mentioned that the cause of the incident is still being investigated. According to Rico, the exact cause of the event that led to the deaths of two TNI soldiers is currently under investigation by UNIFIL.
He stated that two other TNI soldiers also suffered serious injuries. Both soldiers have been intensively treated at health facilities in Beirut, Lebanon.
As for the Ministry of Defense and the TNI Headquarters, they have not officially released the identities of the victims in Lebanon. The Head of the TNI Information Center, Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah, has not responded to inquiries about the identities of the victims.
Within a span of two days at the end of March, a total of three TNI soldiers serving as UNIFIL peacekeepers died in Lebanon due to attacks from Israel. Five other Indonesian military personnel also suffered minor and serious injuries.
Read: Indonesia Confirms Two More Peacekeeper Deaths in Lebanon
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