KUALA LUMPUR – The Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring recent developments in Lebanon following the attacks in Beirut, emphasising that the safety and welfare of Malaysians residing in Lebanon remain of utmost priority.
In a statement, the ministry said the Malaysian embassy in Beirut has been in contact with Malaysians in Lebanon following attacks involving electronic devices and airstrikes, killing dozens, including one person today.
Based on the embassy’s record, there are 23 Malaysians registered with the embassy, and all have been reported safe, it said.
“The ministry, through the embassy, continues to closely monitor recent developments in Lebanon following the attacks in Beirut and increased cross-border clashes in the south of Lebanon.
“As a precautionary measure, the ministry advised all Malaysians living in Lebanon to remain vigilant and give utmost attention to their safety and security.
“They may also consider moving out to safer places or voluntarily returning to Malaysia if they feel their safety and security are at risk,” the statement read.
The ministry also advised Malaysians to defer travelling to Lebanon due to the volatile situation in the country.
It said the embassy is also in constant communication with the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) 850-11 which is serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) to ensure the safety of our peacekeepers.
“All deployments and assignments of Malbatt personnel in Lebanon will continue to be under the coordination of Unifil,” it added.
Malaysians requiring consular assistance are advised to contact the Malaysian embassy in Beirut, located at Lot 170, Saad Zaghloul Street, Downtown, Beirut, Lebanon. The embassy can be reached at +961 7677 2527 and +961 7138 0063, or via email at [email protected].
Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported that at least one person was killed and 17 others were injured in intensive Israeli airstrikes targeting several areas in Lebanon today.
Israeli fighter jets launched over 80 airstrikes within a 30-minute period early morning, striking regions and valleys between the towns of Ansar and Zrariyeh in Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Attacks targeted several other areas, including Wa’ba, Jibchit, Sharqia, Al-Namiriyeh, the edges of Kfar Tebnit, Nabatiyeh El Faouqa and Deir El Zahrani.
Additionally, areas surrounding the Kfar Roummane-Midneh highway, the outskirts of Yohmor Al-Shaqif, Arnoun, Jabal Al-Tuffah, Jabal Al-Rihan, the outskirts of Sejoud, and the former Kfar Tebnit crossing point were also hit.
A Lebanese shepherd was killed and six people were injured, including two family members, in an Israeli strike in Bodai in eastern Lebanon.
Lebanon Health Ministry said 11 more people were injured in another strike in Aitaroun in southern Lebanon today.
Several airstrikes also targeted the outskirts of Zboud in northern Beqaa, the mountainous regions of Hermel, and Jabal Safi in western Beqaa.
Attacks were also reported in areas east of Tyre and the Litani River at the southern edge of Dlafy in southern Lebanon.
According to Israel’s Army Radio, warplanes hit more than 150 targets in Lebanon using dozens of fighter jets today.
“The planned strikes are expected to be more significant than yesterday’s and will continue for an extended period,” the Israeli daily Haaretz quoted a military statement.
Separately, the Israeli army warned civilians in villages in southern Lebanon to leave buildings where Hezbollah weapons are stored.
Tension has mounted between Hezbollah and Israel following a deadly airstrike on Friday which killed at least 45 people, including children and women, and injured dozens in Beirut’s southern suburb.
Hezbollah confirmed that at least 16 of its members, including senior leader Ibrahim Aqil and top commander Ahmed Wahbi, were killed in the Israeli strike.
The attack came two days after at least 37 people were killed and over 3,000 others injured in two waves of wireless communication device explosions across Lebanon.
While the Lebanese government and Hezbollah blame Israel for the explosions, Tel Aviv has not denied or confirmed its involvement.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,400 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7 last year. – September 23, 2024