Navy to send 120 soldiers for Lebanon peacekeeping mission

Jakarta (ANTARA) - A total of 120 Indonesian Navy soldiers selected for the TNI Garuda contingent maritime task force (Konga) XXVIII-P UNIFIL will depart for Lebanon in the third week of December 2024.

The task force's commander, Lt. Col. Anugerah Annurullah, has briefed Navy chief Admiral Muhammad Ali and other officers on pre-departure preparations, according to the head of the Indonesian Navy Information Service, Commodore I Made Wira Hady Arsanta Wardhana, on Monday.

Annurullah reported on the readiness of personnel, logistics, and weapons, and provided details on the shipping route that will be taken by Indonesian warship KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda (SIM)-367 from Surabaya, East Java, to Beirut.

"Admiral Ali reminded all task force personnel to always prioritize safety and professionalism while on duty," Wardhana said.

According to Wardhana, the admiral also emphasized the importance of maintaining the good name of the nation and the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) by avoiding all forms of violations.

KRI SIM-367 will take the Jakarta-Batam-Colombo (Sri Lanka)-Salalah (Oman)-Port Said (Egypt)-Beirut route.

In Beirut, the task force will continue the peacekeeping mission currently carried out by the TNI Konga XXVIII-O UNIFIL maritime task force.

The maritime task force (MTF) is one of the units under the control of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). It typically carries out peacekeeping missions in Lebanese waters and the Mediterranean Sea for a year.

The 120 Navy soldiers selected for the task force have been undergoing pre-duty training in Surabaya, East Java, since September.

Besides the MTF, TNI has sent troops to join other UNIFIL units, including the Mechanized Battalion Task Force (INDOBATT), Force Headquarter Support Unit (FHQSU), Indo Force Protection Company (FPC) Task Force, TNI Civilian Military Coordination (CIMIC) Task Force, Military Community Outreach Unit (MCOU) Task Force, and Level 2 Hospital Task Force.

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

Currently, Indonesia has the largest number of soldiers carrying out peacekeeping missions with UNIFIL in Lebanon, totaling 1,230.