KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Armed Forces chief General Tan Sri Mohammad Ab Rahman has dispelled claims by certain quarters that the Malaysian peacekeepers are not supplied with individual first-aid kit (IFAK).
He said this when asked to comment regarding the issue following online claims that the Malaysian Battalion 850 (Malbatt 850) personnel serving under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) were not supplied with IFAK.
"That's not true, our fighting troops are all supplied with IFAK," he told the New Straits Times.
Military IFAKs serve more as a trauma kit than a first aid kit, designed to address immediate life threats such as exsanguination (bleeding out), airway and breathing issues and hypothermia.
While there is no uniform content list for IFAKs, they are configured to address the most likely risks and are specific to the training that the person has received.
Last night, the armed forces in a statement, said that six personnel from Malbatt 850-12 and Malbatt 850-11 sustained various minor injuries following a strike near Saida Stadium, Lebanon. The incident occurred as the Malbatt 850-12 convoy was travelling from Beirut to Marakah Camp.
The strike targeted another civilian vehicle en route to Beirut and caused damage to a bus carrying Malbatt 850-12 personnel.
The armed forces also said it will continue to closely monitor developments regarding the situation and will provide updates as necessary.
It added that it remains committed to the safety and wellbeing of its personnel in carrying out the peacekeeping mission under the United Nations (UN).
Earlier, Unifil, in a statement, said a convoy ferrying peacekeepers who had just arrived in Lebanon to begin their deployment was hit in an Israeli Defence Force (IDF) drone strike. Unifil said the injured were treated by the Lebanese Red Cross.
On Wednesday, Malaysia sent its first batch of Malbatt 850-12 peacekeepers, consisting of 220 officers and enlisted personnel, led by Colonel Johan Effendi Mohd Salleh.
Malbatt 850-12 comprises 854 personnel, including 82 officers and 772 enlisted, with an additional three officers and 27 personnel from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, and a civilian financial officer from the Defence Ministry.
The deployment followed the return of the Malbatt 850-11 contingent, which completed its tour of duty there.