M'sian troops in Lebanon safe, all patrols halted: MAF chief

The Malaysian peacekeeping battalion (Malbatt) 850-11 in Lebanon was ordered to stop all patrols and logistics movements and remain in their respective locations for safety.

This followed the recent escalation of war between Lebanon and Israel, which saw the latter conducting massive airstrikes and incursions that reportedly caused the death of over 2,000 across Lebanon, including hundreds of women and children.

Malaysia Armed Forces (MAF) chief Mohammad Ab Rahman reportedly said today that all Malbatt team members in Lebanon are safe.

He explained that any decision on pulling the battalion out is subject to instructions from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).

“Bunker protection procedures have been activated according to the established security protocols until the situation is back under control,” he said, as quoted by Bernama.

Mohammad spoke to reporters after celebrating the 91st MAF Day 2024 at Segenting Camp in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

“We will continue to monitor the developments of the situation in South Lebanon, especially the security aspect of the personnel to ensure that the measures taken are aligned with the current operational and security requirements,” he added.

According to a live report on the Israel-Lebanon war by Al-Jazeera, Lebanon’s health authority said over 2,000 people were killed in Israel’s attacks across the country with 127 of them being children.

Palestinian refugees

On a separate matter, Mohammad said MAF is investigating a recent commotion involving a group of Palestinian refugees at Wisma Transit Kuala Lumpur.

They believe the individuals involved in the incident were under a lot of stress due to their situation, including having their movement controlled by the authorities.

He said MAF would deal with the issue professionally and with empathy.

“When they go out without supervision, we are worried that something undesirable will happen, therefore every time they go out, we will conduct surveillance.

“However, they have apologised to Malaysians for this incident and we will continue to provide assistance to them,” he said.

Four M'sians arrive home, ministry working to evacuate remaining 16 from Lebanon

Lebanon files complaint against Israel at UN for ground incursion

UN peacekeeping force slams Israel's incursion into Lebanon

Unicef 'deeply concerned' over spiraling humanitarian conditions in Lebanon