Defence minister confirms Malaysian peacekeepers are centrally positioned away from the Lebanon-Israel border, reducing ground combat risk
KOTA TINGGI: The Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) 850-13, deployed on a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, is operating from a central base that provides a security advantage as it is located away from the border area.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the tactical positioning directly reduces the risk of Malaysian forces being involved in any ground fighting in the event of unrest along the Lebanon-Israel border.
He said the area near the border line is, instead, controlled by peacekeeping forces from other countries, including France and Indonesia.
“We do have an area that we are guarding. Our advantage is that we are not on the Lebanese and Israeli borders but are positioned in the middle. Those deployed closer to the border include French and Indonesian forces.
“So we are safe should any ground battle should a ground battle occur,” he told reporters after attending a free fuel programme at BHPetrol Felda Air Tawar 2 here today.
However, Mohamed Khaled said national forces must not be complacent, as the current threat has now shifted to aerial attacks.
He said the risk of attacks involving air assets such as drones and fighter jets still exists, regardless of the positioning of peacekeeping forces.
On the emergency standard operating procedure (SOP) in the event of an emergency, Mohamed Khaled said existing instructions stipulate that all MALBATT members must remain vigilant and take shelter in bunkers to ensure their safety.
