Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) has set up a team for the evacuation of Indonesian nationals in Egypt which is currently experiencing political turmoil.

The team consists of personnel from the Air Force`s Special Troops and five C-130 Hercules planes, Air Commodore Bambang Soelistyo, deputy of the Air Force Chief of Staff`s operation assistant, said here Tuesday.

The team`s personnel comprised three groups, respectively a 15-member group of control command, a 42-member group of main team of evacuation and a 45-member group of ground handling.

"The whole personnel consist of Bravo-90 Detachment who have experiences in UN missions. Everyone is ready to leave. They are just waiting fro the instruction of the TNI headquarters," Bambang said.

The TNI Evacuation Team is headed by team commander Colonel Rolland D.G. Waha, and Bravo-9- Detachment by Lt. Col. M Juanda.

The five C-130 Hercules planes consist of three from Air Squadron 31 Wing I in Halim Perdanakusuma air force base, and two from Air Squadron 32 Wing II in Abdulrachman Saleh Malang air force base, he said.

The Indonesian government has finally decided to evacuate its citizens and deploy commercial and military airplanes to fly home over 6,000 Indonesians from Egypt which is now being plagued by political tension.

The decision to evacuate Indonesian citizens from Egypt was made in a cabinet meeting led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday (Jan 31) following the worsening of political tension and social unrest in Egypt where demonstrators demanded that President Hosni Mubarak step down.

The Indonesian Air Force on Monday (Jan 31) sent an advance team led by Deputy Air Force Chief Vice Marshal Soekirno, to Egypt as post commander of the task force of the evacuation of Indonesian nationals.

Soekirno is accompanied by Major General Affan Gafar, Military Police Commandant Air Commodore Soedipo Handoyo and Flight Col. Yuyu Sutisna, and Lt. Col. Almukolis Suryo.(*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011