Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian warship KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda-367, carrying the Garuda Contingent XXVIII-P UNIFIL Maritime Task Force bound for Beirut, Lebanon, resumed its journey from Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, setting course for scheduled stop in Salalah, Oman.
In Colombo, the task force halted for three days and two nights.
Head of the Indonesian Navy Information Service, Commodore I Made Wira Hady Arsanta Wardhana, stated on Monday that Indonesian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Dewi Gustina Tobing, and Indonesian Defense Attaché to Sri Lanka, Commodore Ardiansyah Muqsit, welcomed the TNI MTF Task Force upon its arrival in Colombo.
While welcoming the task force's arrival, Ambassador Tobing also conversed with the task force personnel who will serve with the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Lebanon.
KRI SIM-367 began its voyage to Beirut, Lebanon, from Jakarta on December 19, 2024. The ship carried all personnel of the TNI MTF Task Force Konga XXVIII-P UNIFIL, comprising 120 Indonesian Navy soldiers and an anti-submarine helicopter Panther HS-1306 from the Indonesian Navy Aviation Center.
From Jakarta, KRI SIM-367 stopped in Batam and then left the Indonesian waters for Colombo. From Colombo, the entourage is scheduled to sail for five days to dock in Salalah, Oman.
The warship will continue its voyage from Oman to the Suez Canal, Port Said, Egypt, and to Beirut, Lebanon.
In Beirut, the task force will join the peacekeeping mission with other UN peacekeeping forces from various countries. This task force is taking over the duty carried out by Indonesian Task Force MTF TNI Konga XXVIII-O UNIFIL, which has been serving for a year.
The Maritime Task Force (MTF) is one of the units under the control of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
In addition to the MTF, the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) deployed other troops to join other UNIFIL units, including the Mechanized Battalion Task Force (INDOBATT), Force Headquarters Support Unit (FHQSU), Indo Force Protection Company (FPC) Task Force, Civilian Military Coordination (CIMIC) Task Force, Military Community Outreach Unit (MCOU) Task Force, and Level 2 Hospital Task Force.
Most TNI soldiers, who are members of UNIFIL, operate on land, while the MTF Task Force carries out its duties at sea.
Indonesia contributes the largest military contingent to UNIFIL's peacekeeping operations in Lebanon, with a deployment of 1,230 soldiers.
