President Prabowo Subianto led a solemn ceremony on Saturday evening to honor three Indonesian soldiers who died while serving with the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. The event, a lying-in-state ceremony, took place at the VVIP building of Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten.
President Prabowo paid his final respects to Major (posthumous) Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, Chief Sergeant (posthumous) Muhammad Nur Ichwan, and Second Corporal (posthumous) Farizal Rhomadhon. Their coffins were draped with the Indonesian flag, symbolizing their service to the nation. Photographs of each soldier, set against the United Nations emblem, were displayed alongside floral wreaths, as uniformed personnel stood in formation.
A significant number of relatives and state officials attended the memorial service, filling the hall. President Prabowo approached each coffin, offering condolences and comfort to the soldiers’ grieving families, including Rhomadhon’s wife and mother. He was accompanied by Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Foreign Minister Sugiono, and Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Agus Subiyanto.
Following the presidential tribute, a formal release ceremony was conducted, led by Indonesian Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak. During this ceremony, the remains of the three peacekeepers were officially handed over for burial in their respective hometowns, with full military honors in recognition of their service and sacrifice.
The three soldiers were killed in separate incidents in southern Lebanon while deployed under the UN peacekeeping operation. In response, Indonesia has called for thorough investigations into the attacks affecting its personnel and has consistently reiterated its strong support for UN peacekeeping missions abroad.
Two Indonesian Air Force aircraft, a CN-295 and a C-130J, were prepared at the airport to facilitate the transport of the bodies. The remains are scheduled to be flown to Bandung and Yogyakarta for their final interment. The fallen peacekeepers had been posthumously promoted, acknowledging their dedication and ultimate sacrifice.
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