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Govt has backup plan if Malbatt has to withdraw, says Khaled

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The defence minister reaffirms Malaysia’s commitment to UN peacekeeping in Lebanon despite yesterday’s explosion that left six Malbatt members injured.

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Six Malbatt members were injured near Saida Stadium, Lebanon, in an explosion during their transfer to Camp Marakah yesterday. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:
The government has a backup plan should the situation in southern Lebanon escalate, prompting the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) to withdraw due to Israel’s aggressive actions.

Defence minister Khaled Nordin said the country’s commitment to sending military personnel to Lebanon, alongside other countries, continues for now.

He said the current situation mirrors that faced when Malaysia first started deploying the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) to Lebanon for peacekeeping duties.

Khaled said his ministry is in constant communication with Unifil to monitor the situation, while also discussing with other countries involved in the peacekeeping mission.

“It’s not just the Malbatt team that faces attacks. Troops from other countries, such as Indonesia and Ireland, are also in the same situation.

“Malaysia has built a reputation to continue standing with the Unifil peacekeeping force, made up of more than 40 countries, to help maintain peace in the area,” he told Bernama Radio on the latest situation of Malbatt members in Lebanon.

Khaled also said military personnel sent there are trained soldiers and are fully aware of the risks they face when working as peacekeepers there.

“These are not ordinary people,” he said.

Yesterday, six Malbatt members were confirmed to have sustained injuries following an explosion near Saida Stadium in Lebanon while en route from Beirut to Camp Marakah at 1.54pm local time (7.54pm in Malaysia).

According to Khaled, one of the soldiers, injured in the hand, is receiving treatment at Hamood Hospital in Saida. The remaining five, with minor injuries, have safely arrived at Marakah Camp.

Khaled said the incident was caused by the explosion of a car, though it remains unclear if the explosion was caused by a drone or an Israeli fighter jet.

“Shards from the explosion caused the windshield and rear window of one of the buses carrying the Malbatt 850-12 members to shatter and injured the six members, including the escort from Malbatt 850-11,” he said.

The first deployment of the Malbatt 850-12 team, consisting of 220 officers and members of other ranks, began on Wednesday. This will continue in stages until Nov 18 as part of their UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.

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