Jakarta. Indonesia will soon arrange a meeting with the UN Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre François Renaud Lacroix, after a projectile killed one of its peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.

Indonesian personnel Farizal Rhomadhon died late Sunday after a projectile exploded in a UNIFIL position near Adchit Al Qusayr. The UNIFIL — short for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) — is a peacekeeping mission in the southern part of the country. Indonesia is among the largest contributors to the mission as it deployed 756 individuals as of March 23.

Foreign Minister Sugiono told reporters on the margins of a Tokyo visit that the UNIFIL would probe into the attack. Indonesian Permanent Mission to the UN in New York Umar Hadi is also expected to meet Lacroix on Monday morning local time.

“Our representative [Umar Hadi] will meet the UN under-secretary general who is in charge of peacekeeping force matters,” Sugiono said in a recorded video of the briefing, alluding to Lacroix.

“They will discuss matters related to the repatriation of the deceased soldier. We have called for the UNIFIL to launch a thorough investigation to find the causes of this incident.” 

Military spokesperson  Aulia Dwi Nasrullah had told the Jakarta Globe that Farizal’s body was currently at UNIFIL’s Sector East headquarters.  The administration process to repatriate Farizal is also “underway”. The artillery strike had wounded three other Indonesian personnel. One individual faces severe injuries, while the other two sustain minor wounds.

Sugiono also said that Jakarta would choose to wait for UNIFIL’s probe findings. 

The latest incident has fueled lawmakers’ calls for Jakarta to pull its peacemakers out.

“I have only heard of this [proposed withdrawal]. Of course, if we are considering going in that direction, there will be further discussions,” Sugiono said.

The minister is in Tokyo to accompany President Prabowo Subianto on his first-ever state visit to Japan. The latter is expected to meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Sugiono confirmed that the leaders would discuss the Iran war.

“Bilateral talks typically address global and regional situations. I believe that [Iran conflict] will be a subject matter,” Sugiono said.

Lebanon got dragged into the Iran conflict after the Tehran-backed militants Hezbollah fired strikes on Israel in early March. Hezbollah decided to plunge into the battle in retaliation against the Israeli-US killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Hezbollah-Israeli hostilities had escalated since then.

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