ISTANBUL

Indonesia on Monday "strongly" condemned the killing of an Indonesian peacekeeper of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in an explosion late Sunday, according to an official statement.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry called for a "thorough and transparent" investigation into the incident, and stressed that the safety and security of UN peacekeepers must be "fully respected at all times" in accordance with international law.

Earlier, UNIFIL said a peacekeeper was "tragically" killed Sunday when a projectile exploded at a UNIFIL position near the southern Lebanese village of Adchit Al-Qusayr. Another one was critically injured.

Jakarta reiterated its condemnation of Israel's attacks in southern Lebanon and called on all parties to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, cease attacks against civilian populations and infrastructure, and return to dialogue and diplomacy to prevent further escalation.

Israel has pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in the south since a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2. The region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched an air offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.