In this connection, the Air Force will send its Deputy Chief Vice Marshal Soekirno, Military Police Commandant Air Commodore Soedipo and Flight Col. Yuyu Sutisna as an advance team to Egypt.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) is preparing a heavy transport plane C-130 Hercules to help evacuate Indonesian citizens who are trapped in the Egyptian political unrest.

Air Force Spokesman Air Commodore Bambang Samoedro said here on Monday that his side had not yet decided how many Hercules planes would be deployed.

"The number of planes will largely depend on the situation and condition in Egypt," he said.

In this connection, the Air Force will send its Deputy Chief Vice Marshal Soekirno, Military Police Commandant Air Commodore Soedipo and Flight Col. Yuyu Sutisna as an advance team to Egypt.

"They will be leaving tonight," Bambang Samoedro said.

Earlier, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in limited cabinet meeting asked all related agencies to carry out evacuation of Indonesians in Egypt.

"Air evacuation needs to be carried out to return them to Indonesia," the president said.

For this purpose, the government has set up an evacuation team led by member of the Presidential Advisory Council Hassan Wirajuda.

A number of representatives also join the team, among others from the ministry of transportation and the ministry of health.

The team has planned to use commercial and military planes in evacuating Indonesian citizens.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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