Indonesia on Saturday condemned the killing of another Indonesian peacekeeper in Lebanon in ongoing hostilities, reiterating its call for a UN probe into the killings, Anadolu reports.
Corp. Rico Pramudia, 31, serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was critically injured in a “projectile explosion” at a base in Adchit al-Qusayr on the night of March 29 and died in a Beirut hospital on Friday.
The latest casualty brings the number of Indonesian peacekeepers killed in the ongoing conflict to four.
“Indonesia once again condemns the attack by Israel that resulted in the death of an Indonesian peacekeeper. Any attack against peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international law and may amount to a war crime,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Vahd Naby told Anadolu.
Indonesia, he said, reiterates its call for the UN to do an “immediate, thorough, and transparent investigation” to establish the facts, and stresses that full accountability must be ensured.
“Safety and security of the UN peacekeepers is not negotiable. Therefore, the government of Indonesia also continues its coordination with the United Nations and other troop- and police-contributing countries to strengthen the protection of peacekeepers, including through a comprehensive evaluation of their safety and security, as well as enhanced risk mitigation measures in UNIFIL’s area of operations,” the spokesman said.
The government of Indonesia extends its “deepest” condolences to the bereaved family, and expresses its highest respect for the deceased peacekeeper’s “dedication and sacrifice in maintaining international peace,” he added.
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Following the attack, he further said, through “close and intensive” coordination with UNIFIL, the Indonesian government, the Lebanese government, and medical teams in Beirut ensured that immediate and optimum medical treatment was provided.
However, due to the severity of Pramudia’s injuries, he passed away despite all efforts to save his life, the spokesman said.
Jakarta, he added, continues its “close” coordination with UNIFIL to ensure that the repatriation of the deceased is carried out promptly and with full dignity.
With Pramudia’s death, six UNIFIL personnel have now been killed and several others seriously injured during the current 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.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon had been extended by three weeks following ambassador-level talks at the White House.
The US-brokered 10-day ceasefire, which took effect April 16, had been set to expire Sunday.
Since March 2, expanded Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 2,200 people and displaced over 1 million, according to Lebanese authorities.
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