Judha Nugraha, Director of Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Legal Entities, stated that this decision was discussed at a technical meeting between the ministry and the TNI.
"If the situation escalates, TNI troops in UNIFIL are ready to support the evacuation of our citizens in Lebanon," he remarked on Thursday.
Nugraha explained that if the evacuation is conducted with the assistance of TNI troops in UNIFIL, it will occur in coordination with the UNIFIL Force Commander.
He noted that there are currently 155 Indonesians in Lebanon, most of whom are students or Indonesians married to locals.
The security situation in Lebanon has become increasingly tense following Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese territory since the start of this week, targeting the Hezbollah group.
Lebanese authorities have reported around 610 people killed, more than 2,000 civilians injured, and tens of thousands displaced due to the Israeli attacks.
The Indonesian Embassy in Beirut has issued an Alert 1 status for Indonesian citizens across Lebanon. The Foreign Affairs Ministry has also issued a travel alert advising Indonesian citizens to postpone any travel to Lebanon and Israel.
To date, 1,000 TNI soldiers are stationed in Lebanon under UNIFIL.
They serve in various UNIFIL units, including the Maritime Task Force (MTF), the TNI Mechanized Battalion Task Force (INDOBATT), and the Headquarters Support Unit Task Force (FHQSU).
They are also assigned to the Indo Force Protection Company (FPC) Task Force, the TNI Civilian Military Coordination (CIMIC) Task Force, the Military Community Outreach Unit (MCOU) Task Force, and the Level 2 Hospital Task Force.
Most TNI soldiers, who are members of UNIFIL, operate on land, while the MTF Task Force carries out its duties at sea.
Related news: Nations, UN should act promptly to Israel strikes on Lebanon: Jokowi
Related news: FM Retno, EU representative discuss developments in Middle East
Translator: Nabil Ihsan, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
