VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Members of the Indonesian Navy, part of the TNI MTF Task Force Garuda Contingent XXVIII-P UNIFIL, participate in a farewell ceremony at Madura Pier, Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday (December 12, 2024). ANTARA/Indonesian Navy/rst

VOI News, Jakarta: The Indonesian warship KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda-367  departed from its base at the Indonesian Navy Fleet Command (Koarmada) II in Surabaya, East Java, and is heading to Jakarta in preparation for its voyage to Beirut, Lebanon.

As reported by Antara News Agency on Saturday (14/12/2024), the Indonesian naval vessel is currently part of the Maritime Task Force (MTF) of the TNI Garuda Contingent (Konga) XXVIII-P UNIFIL, scheduled to sail to Beirut in the third week of December 2024 for a peacekeeping mission with the United Nations.

The warship is projected to continue the duties of the TNI Konga XXVIII-O UNIFIL MTF Task Force currently serving in Lebanon.

Head of Information Service of the Koarmada II Indonesian Navy, Colonel Widyo Sasongko, stated on Friday (Dec 13) that the TNI Konga XXVIII-P UNIFIL MTF Task Force was released from the Madura Pier, East Java, on Thursday (December 12), by Chief of Staff of Koarmada II, Commodore Isswarto, representing the Commander of Koarmada II, Rear Admiral Ariantyo Condrowibowo.

"This ship will carry out a peace mission for 365 days as part of UNIFIL - a multinational mission responsible for maintaining security stability in the region," Sasongko remarked.

KRI SIM-367 will chart a strategic course from Jakarta, first stopping in Batam before navigating international waters. Its planned route includes port calls at Colombo in Sri Lanka, Salalah in Oman, and a critical passage through Egypt's Suez Canal at Port Said, ultimately concluding its journey in Beirut, Lebanon.

"You will interact with other countries' officers, UNIFIL elements, and local communities. Therefore, uphold the values of professionalism, tolerance, and international cooperation," Isswarto, representing Condrobirowo, told 120 soldiers of the Task Force members.

They are also reminded to be alert to all forms of threats, considering the escalation of armed conflict in Lebanon between the Israeli military and the armed militia Hezbollah.

The TNI Konga XXVIII-P UNIFIL MTF Task Force is scheduled to depart to Beirut, Lebanon, carrying 120 Navy personnel and an anti-submarine helicopter from the AS 565 MBe HS-1306 Panther Naval Air Station.

In Beirut, the TNI Konga XXVIII-P UNIFIL MTF Task Force will continue the peacekeeping mission of the TNI Konga XXVIII-O UNIFIL MTF Task Force, whose term of duty will end in early January 2025.

The Maritime Task Force is one of the units under the control of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Apart from MTF, the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) also deployed other troops to join other UNIFIL units, including the Mechanized Battalion Task Force (INDOBATT), Force Headquarter Support Unit (FHQSU), Indo Force Protection Company (FPC) Task Force, Civil-Military Coordination (CIMIC) Task Force, Military Community Outreach Unit (MCOU) Task Force, and 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.

Indonesia still sends the most soldiers to carry out peacekeeping missions with UNIFIL in Lebanon, with 1,230 soldiers.