Agencies, Jakarta – Indonesia urged warring parties in the Middle East "to respect international humanitarian law" after three of its peacekeepers were killed in Lebanon, and called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting.
"The safety of peacekeeping troops must be the top priority. All parties to the conflict are urged to respect international humanitarian law and ensure the security of peacekeeping personnel," Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Rico Ricardo Sirait said in a statement.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said two of its personnel were killed Monday in an explosion and another died late Sunday when a projectile hit their position.
The UN force said it launched an investigation into the separate incidents.
Condemning the "heinous" attacks, Foreign Minister Sugiono said on Tuesday that he had discussed the deaths with UN chief Antonio Guterres, and asked for an emergency UN Security meeting as well as "a swift, thorough and transparent investigation".
"The safety and security of UN peacekeepers is non-negotiable and must be upheld at all times," said Sugiono.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, condemned "these unacceptable incidents and said "all acts that endanger the peacekeepers must stop".
Permanent Security Council member France has said it was seeking a meeting of the body over the matter.
Three United Nations peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon after a bloody weekend in which Lebanese journalists and medics were killed in Israeli strikes.
Two peacekeepers were killed on Monday after an explosion from an unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan in south Lebanon, UNIFIL said in a statement. Two other soldiers were wounded in the blast.
Another Indonesian soldier was killed overnight Sunday into Monday when a projectile exploded near one of the group's positions close to the southern Lebanese village of Adchit al-Qusayr. Another peacekeeper was critically injured at the time.
The death on Sunday was the first among the UN's peacekeeping force in the new war between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah which erupted on March 2.
"These are two separate incidents and we are investigating them as two separate incidents," said UNIFIL's spokesperson Kandice Ardiel.