Praise God, we had successfully returned our citizens from Afghanistan
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The operation to evacuate Indonesian citizens (WNI) from Afghanistan was not an easy mission due to the changing and evolving situation on the ground, National Defense Forces (TNI) Commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto stated.

The operation was scheduled to facilitate the departure of WNI from the Hamid Karzai Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan.

However, the evacuation team, comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TNI, and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), managed to return 26 Indonesian citizens back to the country along with two Afghan nationals and five Filipino citizens on early Saturday morning.

"Praise God, we had successfully returned our citizens from Afghanistan," Tjahjanto noted during a press conference after witnessing the landing of an Indonesian Air Force plane carrying aboard dozens of Indonesian citizens from Afghanistan at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport on Saturday.


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The TNI commander, standing alongside Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, drew attention to several problems faced by the evacuation team during the operation.

Hence, Tjahjanto expressed gratitude for the support and prayers offered by the parties, so that the operation to evacuate Indonesian citizens was conducted successfully.

“I would like to express my gratitude to all Indonesians for their support and prayers for this mission. This operation can run safely and smoothly owing to the cooperation between ministries and institutions," he remarked.

Tjahjanto later explained that all flight crew members, tasked with repatriating Indonesian citizens, were currently undergoing examinations in a special crew room.

All passengers also immediately followed the health protocol rules as stipulated by the government.

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi noted that the Indonesian government had decided to use military aircraft to repatriate dozens of Indonesian citizens in Afghanistan to ensure their security and safety.

The Indonesian Air Force plane departed from the Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport on August 18, 2021, at around 6:00 local time. The plane traversed Jakarta, Aceh, Colombo Sri Lanka, Karachi Pakistan, Islamabad Pakistan, then Hamid Karzai Airport, Kabul, and Afghanistan in order to reach its destination.


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Marsudi highlighted the difficulties encountered by the evacuation team in managing air traffic permits and landing permits at the Hamid Karzai Airport, Kabul.

The landing permit was given on August 19, 2021, at 4:10 local time, but the permit was withdrawn by local authorities owing to the unfavorable situation.

Later on, the authorities gave landing permission on August 20, and the Indonesian Air Force plane landed at the Hamid Karzai Airport at 5:17 local time.

The evacuation process was originally planned to last for 30 minutes, but the operation took two hours, Marsudi noted.

The Indonesian Air Force plane also took the same route until it finally arrived at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta on Saturday morning at around 3:30 WIB (Western Indonesian Standard Time).


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Translator: Genta M, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021