JAKARTA: The Indonesian military has dispatched 744 soldiers to serve in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, its chief said on Friday as Israel continues its near-daily attacks on the Middle Eastern country, despite a ceasefire.
Indonesia has contributed troops to UNIFIL since 2006, after the operation’s mandate was expanded by the UN Security Council following the Second Lebanon War to help the Lebanese army keep control over the south of the country, which borders Israel.
The new batch of Indonesian soldiers will replace the current group serving in the country’s Garuda Contingent, which consists of 748 personnel and whose terms expire soon.
“I have sent off 744 personnel of the UNIFIL Garuda Contingent to Lebanon … as a form of respect to the soldiers who will carry out the noble mission as peacekeepers of the world,” Indonesian Armed Forces’ Chief Gen. Agus Subiyanto said in a post on Instagram on Friday.
As of May 1, 2026, UNIFIL consists of some 7,400 peacekeepers from 47 troop-contributing countries, with Indonesia topping the list, followed by Italy and Spain.
