MALBATT 850-13 PERSONNEL MOVEMENT IN SOUTH LEBANON SUSPENDED, SECURITY TIGHTENED - MOHAMED KHALED

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- Members of the Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) 850-13 in southern Lebanon have been instructed not to carry out any operational movements for the time being as a precautionary measure following the current security developments.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said this was in line with the directives of the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) in Lebanon headquarters.

He said the directive was issued following two separate incidents within 24 hours involving UNIFIL peacekeepers, including a projectile explosion near Adchit Al Qusayr and an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion that killed three UN peacekeepers from Indonesia.

bootstrap slideshow

“The incidents have claimed the lives of peacekeepers and caused serious injuries to several others.

“The Ministry of Defence expresses its condolences to the families of the deceased and prays for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Mohamed Khaled said in a statement today.

He said Malaysia stressed that any attack on peacekeepers is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

He said the level of security had been enhanced for all contingents in the mission area based on the current situation in southern Lebanon.

“These measures include continued adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), strengthening the implementation of Rules of Engagement (ROE), temporary cessation of patrol movements, increased Force Protection measures and continuous assessment of the situation,” he said.

He said currently, all members of MALBATT 850-13 were confirmed to be safe and their safety remained the top priority of the government.

“All assignments and movements are carried out cautiously based on the assessment of the current situation and UNIFIL operational instructions,” he said.

-- BERNAMA