Remains Of Three Indonesian UN Peacekeepers Killed In Lebanon Arrive Home

JAKARTA, April 4 (Bernama) -- The remains of three Indonesian peacekeepers killed while serving under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) arrived in Jakarta on Saturday, marking a solemn homecoming for the fallen soldiers.

According to ANTARA News Agency, the remains arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 5.30 pm local time and were received by TNI personnel before being placed at the VIP Building of Terminal 3, where a reception ceremony is scheduled to be led by President Prabowo Subianto.

The three fallen personnel were identified as Captain (Infantry) Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, Sergeant Muhammad Nur Ichwan and Private First Class Farizal Rhomadhon.

Farizal was killed by artillery fire near the Indonesian UNIFIL contingent’s position close to Adchit Al Qusayr in southern Lebanon on March 29, while a day later, Zulmi and Muhammad Nur Ichwan were killed when a military convoy they were escorting came under attack. Five other TNI personnel were injured in the incidents.

On April 3, three more Indonesian peacekeepers were injured following an explosion in El Addaiseh, southern Lebanon.

Prabowo is expected to pay his last respects to the fallen personnel before they are flown to Bandung and Yogyakarta for burial in their respective hometowns following a military send-off ceremony.

Earlier, a tribute ceremony was held in Lebanon on April 2 at the Lebanese Air Force hangar in Beirut, led by UNIFIL Force Commander and Head of Mission Major General Diodato Abagnara.

During the ceremony, the UNIFIL Force Commander placed a United Nations scarf on the coffins and conveyed condolences to members of the Indonesian contingent.

-- BERNAMA