Indonesian Pres leads handover ceremony for remains of three Indonesian peacekeepers killed in Lebanon

Article by Viory

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday personally received the remains of three Indonesian United Nations peacekeepers who were killed in southern Lebanon, as the war in the Middle East continues.

Footage shows the Indonesian leader speaking with attendants at the VIP terminal of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang. Mourners can be seen weeping over the coffins draped in the national flag, while military honour guards stand to attention.

“We deeply mourn the loss of these three individuals. They were our finest sons, whom we had specifically selected to deploy on this peacekeeping mission. So hopefully, the follow-up and resolution of this matter […] will shed further light on how this incident occurred,” said Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army, Maruli Simanjuntak.

According to Simanjuntak, Indonesian authorities are expecting ‘detailed information’ regarding several other soldiers who were injured.

The three soldiers were personnel of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). They reportedly died as a result of Israeli attacks in late March and early April 2026.

Eight more Indonesian peacekeeping personnel were injured in separate attacks in the region.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto strongly condemned the ‘attack against the UN peacekeepers’, calling for a ‘thorough investigation’ into the incident.

Tensions escalated in the Middle East after the US and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on 28 February, while diplomatic talks were underway aimed at “undermining Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes”.

Tehran subsequently announced retaliatory strikes against Israel and US assets in the region, with explosions reported across several Gulf countries.

The conflict has since spilt over into Lebanon, with Hezbollah intervening “in revenge” for the assassination of the Iranian Supreme Leader. Shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, were disrupted following its closure.

Article by Viory