Two Malaysian Battalion members sustained minor injuries after a nearby airstrike while on a logistics mission near Haris, Lebanon.
KUALA LUMPUR: Two members of the Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) 850-13 sustained minor injuries after a nearby airstrike incident that occurred near Haris, Lebanon this morning while carrying out a routine logistics mission.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the incident occurred at 9.25 am local time, about one kilometre west of the United Nations Position (UNP) 6-43 in the Tibnin area.
He said the incident involved the MALBATT 850-13 logistics convoy that was carrying out a routine resupply mission to Tyre.
“As a result of the incident, two members were hit by vehicle mirror shards and sustained minor injuries, while two United Nations (UN) vehicles suffered external material damage,” he said in a statement today.
He said both injured members underwent medical examinations and were reported to be in stable condition, while their next of kin had been informed about the incident.
Mohamed Khaled said immediately after the incident, the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) of the MALBATT 850-13 from UNP 6-43 was activated with the support of medical teams and logistical elements to assist the involved personnel and manage the recovery of the affected vehicles back to the base.
“The team that arrived at the location conducted a safety assessment, checked the condition of the personnel and vehicles before arranging the convoy’s safe return to the base,” he said.
According to Mohamed Khaled, MALBATT 850-13 has also increased precautionary measures, including tightening convoy movement procedures and enhancing the monitoring of the current security situation.
In addition, coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has also been strengthened, and a more comprehensive risk assessment will be conducted before any movement in the operational area.
“The Ministry of Defence, through the Malaysian Armed Forces, will continue to monitor the security situation in the operational areas and ensure that the readiness level of the personnel remains at the highest level to guarantee the safety and smooth execution of the peacekeeping mission mandate in Lebanon,” he added.
