• Indonesian President Prabowo 'strongly' condemns 'heinous' act as bodies of slain peacekeepers arrive in Jakarta

ISTANBUL / ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Indonesia on Saturday warned that the ongoing Israeli military incursion in southern Lebanon is placing UN peacekeepers in “sustained danger” after an explosion injured three Indonesian personnel serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

In a statement to Anadolu, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry expressed “grave concern” over Friday’s blast in El Addaiseh, which injured three personnel deployed under UNIFIL.

It said the incident marked the third serious case involving its troops in less than a week.

“Repeated attacks or incidents of this nature are utterly unacceptable. Regardless of their immediate cause, they underscore the urgent need to strengthen the protection of UN peacekeepers in an increasingly dangerous environment,” the ministry said.

Earlier this week, three Indonesian peacekeepers were also killed and five others injured.

Indonesia called on the UN Security Council to urgently address the situation and urged troop- and police-contributing countries to convene an immediate meeting to strengthen protection measures for peacekeepers operating in the region.

Jakarta also demanded a “thorough, transparent, and independent investigation” into the blast, including identifying those responsible and ensuring accountability.

Indonesia said repeated incidents highlight the increasingly dangerous conditions faced by UN personnel in southern Lebanon, where tensions have escalated amid continued military activity in the border area.

Jakarta said Israel’s ongoing operations and reported intention to maintain a presence in southern Lebanon risk further destabilizing the situation and exposing peacekeepers to sustained threats.

"This incident occurred amid Israel’s ongoing incursion into Lebanon. Israel’s continuing military operations in southern Lebanon, including stated intentions to maintain a presence, risk further destabilizing the situation and placing United Nations peacekeepers in sustained danger."

The government said Indonesia reiterates that the safety and security of UN peacekeepers are non-negotiable and that any harm to peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international law and must not go unanswered.

3 slain UN peacekeepers' bodies arrive in Indonesia

The bodies of the three slain peacekeepers, including Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, M. Nur Ichwan, and Farizal Rhomadhon, arrived in Jakarta on Saturday.

The coffins, draped in Indonesian flags, arrived at the airport where a ceremony was held, attended by President Prabowo Subianto and other officials.

Prabowo, in a statement, said that the Indonesian government and the people "strongly condemn any heinous act that undermines peace and results in the loss of our nation's finest soldiers."

“Let us continue our spirit and determination to maintain peace, and not give space to anyone who tries to divide the nation's togetherness and harmony," he said on US social media company X.

Indonesia, one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, reiterated its commitment to international peace operations and has called the safety of peacekeepers “non-negotiable.”