The first flight of the Malaysian Battalion Contingent (MALBATT) 850-12, comprising 220 members of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and three members from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), safely departed on Wednesday for their peacekeeping mission under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The ceremonial send-off witnessed the presence of Minister of Defence of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin, who officiated the United Nations Beret Wearing Ceremony for the contingent members.
Attendees included Defence Adviser to Malaysia from Brunei Darussalam Lieutenant Colonel Rudie Asmawi bin Haji Abidin, alongside Senior officers of the Malaysian Armed Forces and family members of the departing troops.
The remaining members of the RBAF personnel will be deployed on three subsequent flights, with schedules set for 10, 14, and 18 November 2024.
The MALBATT 850-11 contingent is anticipated to conduct alternate return flights from Lebanon to Malaysia, coinciding with the arrival of each MALBATT 850-12 flight, culminating in the Transfer of Authority (TOA) Process scheduled for 16 November 2024 at Marakah Camp, Lebanon.
