Lebanon — Two more Indonesian peacekeepers died when an explosion struck a UNIFIL logistics convoy near Bani Hayyan in southern Lebanon on March 30, bringing the death toll to three Indonesian soldiers killed in two days.
The attack, which also wounded two Indonesian personnel, marks the second fatal incident within 24 hours. A day earlier, another member of Indonesia's TNI contingent was killed by projectiles at the Ett Taibe base during escalating Israeli operations against Hezbollah forces.
UNIFIL issued a sharp condemnation, declaring that "no one should have to die serving the cause of peace." The UN mission characterized attacks on peacekeepers as serious violations of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701, potentially constituting war crimes.
"We firmly condemn this unacceptable incident," said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Operations Chief. "Peacekeepers should never be targeted."
Indonesia maintains one of the largest contingents within UNIFIL, with more than 1,200 troops deployed to the volatile border region between Lebanon and Israel. The mounting casualties place growing pressure on President Prabowo Subianto's government to address the risks facing Indonesian forces.
The deaths come amid intensifying hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that have killed over 1,200 people in Lebanon since early March, according to UN Coordinator Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said investigations are ongoing but require time to establish facts before notifying responsible parties. The mission has not yet formally attributed responsibility for either attack.
In Indonesia, as across archipelagic democracies, unity in diversity requires constant negotiation across islands, ethnicities, and beliefs. The peacekeeping mission reflects Indonesia's commitment to international humanitarian principles and its role as a leading contributor to UN operations—a source of national pride now shadowed by mounting losses.
Indonesia has maintained a continuous UNIFIL presence since 1978, viewing the deployment as central to its non-aligned foreign policy and Islamic solidarity with Lebanon. But with three dead in two days, public pressure for reassessment of the mission's risks is likely to intensify.
The TNI has not yet announced whether it will withdraw forces or request enhanced protection measures from UNIFIL command.
