Explosion near Unifil headquarters in Lebanon damages Malaysia House, no casualties reported
KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — An explosion believed to involve an unidentified drone occurred near the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) headquarters in Naqoura yesterday, causing minor damage to a Malaysian military rest facility, the Defence Ministry said.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, in a statement, said the incident took place at about 5.30pm Malaysian time near the Unifil headquarters perimeter in southern Lebanon.
He said the explosion “is believed to have occurred near the Unifil headquarters perimeter fence and caused minor damage to both the exterior and interior sections of Malaysia House.”
Malaysia House is a rest facility for five Malaysian Armed Forces officers serving as staff officers under the Unifil headquarters in Naqoura.
The facility is located about 24km from Kem Marakah, the main base of the Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) 850-13 contingent in southern Lebanon.
Earlier, at about 5.19 pm Malaysian time, sirens were activated, and all staff officers were instructed to take shelter in bunkers following a security threat in the operational area.
“The explosion occurred about 20 metres from Malaysia House,” he said, adding that the facility sustained minor damage to both its exterior and interior sections.
No injuries or fatalities were reported involving Malaysian personnel or Unifil staff, as all individuals were inside bunkers when the incident occurred.
Following the blast, the area surrounding Malaysia House was temporarily closed off to allow investigations and security inspections by authorities and related personnel.
Further assessments are being carried out to determine the extent of damage to the building structure and equipment, while repair works will be coordinated through the MALBATT 850-13 contingent.
The ministry, through the Joint Forces Headquarters, said it will continue to closely monitor the security situation in the operational area and work closely with relevant parties to ensure the safety of Malaysian personnel in Lebanon.
