Indonesia Receives Bodies of Peacekeepers Killed in Lebanon, Holds Solemn Repatriation Ceremony
Three UNIFIL soldiers killed in Israeli artillery strikes returned home after delays due to ongoing conflict; Jakarta demands UN investigation and Security Council action
JAKARTA — April 5, 2026 — The bodies of three Indonesian peacekeepers killed while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) arrived in Jakarta on Saturday, April 4, with President Prabowo Subianto leading a military honor ceremony at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport before the fallen soldiers were transported to their hometowns for burial .
The remains arrived at 5:30 p.m. local time and were received by Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel before being placed at the VIP Building of Terminal 3, where a formal reception ceremony took place . President Prabowo and former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono saluted during the military honors, with Prabowo offering condolences directly to family members, including parents, spouses, and children . Yudhoyono wore a sky-blue UN peacekeeping beret, recalling his own service in a mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1990s .
The three fallen soldiers were identified as Major (posthumous) Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, Chief Sergeant (posthumous) Muhammad Nur Ichwan, and Second Corporal (posthumous) Farizal Rhomadhon . Iskandar and Ichwan were killed on March 30 when a military convoy they were escorting came under attack in Bani Hayyan, while Rhomadhon died on March 29 when an Israeli projectile exploded near an Indonesian UNIFIL post in Adchit Al Qusayr, southern Lebanon . Five other personnel were injured in the March 29-30 incidents .
Following the Jakarta ceremony, the coffins were loaded onto two military aircraft for transport to their respective hometowns. A C-130J Super Hercules carried Ichwan and Rhomadhon to Yogyakarta Province for burial in Magelang, Central Java, and Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, respectively. Iskandar’s coffin was flown on a CN-295 aircraft to Bandung before continuing to his hometown of Cimahi, West Java .
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A separate 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 that ceremony, the UNIFIL Force Commander placed a United Nations scarf on the coffins and conveyed condolences to members of the Indonesian contingent .
The repatriation process faced significant delays due to the ongoing conflict in Lebanon. Under normal conditions, travel from Beirut to Jakarta takes at least 17 hours, but limited commercial and military flight options amid the escalating Israel-Hezbollah conflict hampered scheduling . Defense Ministry Information Bureau chief Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait said authorities had targeted a Friday departure but shifted to Saturday depending on flight availability .
Indonesia has strongly condemned the attacks and called for a swift, thorough, and transparent United Nations investigation . Indonesia’s UN envoy, Umar Hadi, speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on April 1, demanded legal accountability for perpetrators and rejected any immunity for attacks targeting peacekeepers . Foreign Minister Sugiono announced on Saturday that France, as the Security Council’s penholder for Lebanon, had approved Indonesia’s request to convene an emergency meeting on the attacks .
“The state will always be present to honor the services of these heroes, uphold the dignity of our soldiers, and ensure that their sacrifices are never forgotten,” President Prabowo said in a social media post . He urged Indonesians to “continue the spirit and determination to safeguard peace, and give no room to anyone who seeks to divide the unity and harmony of the nation” .
Three additional Indonesian peacekeepers were injured following an explosion in El Addaiseh, southern Lebanon, on April 3 . In response to the escalating threat, TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto ordered all Indonesian personnel serving on peacekeeping missions in Lebanon to halt activities outside their headquarters and remain in bunkers .
“Maintain the morale of the troops there, continue implementing internal security measures, and take shelter in the bunkers. No further activities outside, and keep morale high so they remain encouraged,” General Subiyanto said during a video call with the Commander of the Indonesian Mechanical Battalion (Indobatt) XXIII-S Task Force .
The attacks come amid a broader escalation of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in southern Lebanon, which has intensified following the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran war on February 28. Indonesia remains one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions worldwide and has reiterated its commitment to global peace while urging the Security Council to respond firmly to uphold the credibility of UN peacekeeping operations .
SOURCES / INPUTS
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