Malbatt peacekeepers in Lebanon to return home from January 2027
KOTA TINGGI: All members of the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) currently serving in Lebanon are expected to begin returning home in January 2027, following the conclusion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) mandate at the end of this year.
All members of the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) serving in Lebanon are set to return home in January 2027, concluding their service following the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) mandate expiration later this year, according to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin. The withdrawal will be carried out in stages, with several flights transporting the personnel and military assets departing on January 17, 2027.
The defence minister stated that all battalions in Lebanon would complete their deployments by December 31, 2026, in line with the mission's mandate expiration. Khaled expressed Malaysia's willingness to consider participating in a new peacekeeping force in Lebanon if the UN requests it, but emphasized that this participation would be contingent upon the UN's decision and the mandate provided, as Malaysia would not engage in any military operation not aligned with UN mandates.
During his recent visit to Lebanon, Khaled discussed the security situation and a UN conference underway, where many participating countries advocated for reviewing the mission's termination. Malaysia's involvement in Lebanon started in 2007 on a small scale before becoming a full battalion deployment in 2013 under UN approval.
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