Indonesian Citizens Evacuation Team Experienced This Incident, Foreign Minister: The Evacuation Process Was Conducted Parallel

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi, revealed the tense moments of the evacuation of Indonesian citizens trapped in the armed conflict in Afghanistan since the Indonesian Air Force plane departed.

Initially, the Indonesian Air Force evacuation plane departed from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, East Jakarta on August 18, yesterday morning at around 06.00 WIB.

"The last briefing was held at 4:50 am and I officially released the team's departure," said Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at a press conference welcoming the arrival of 26 people from Afghanistan, Saturday, August 21, this morning.

The plane with a special mission passed the Jakarta-Aceh-Colombo-Karachi-Islamabad-Kabul route. Retno said, from the beginning of departure, the plane was designed to spend the night in Islamabad. This is the best route with more guaranteed security.

"This decision was taken with the consideration that the Islamabad-Kabul flight is very short, namely 1 hour or less than 1 hour and the plane can move quickly if the opportunity to land is given at any time," he said.

Retno explained that the process of evacuating Indonesian citizens was carried out in parallel. Not one by one. Therefore, when the Indonesian Air Force plane was flying in the Jakarta-Islamabad sky, it was actually busy taking care of the remaining permits.

"Including air traffic permits and landing permits in Kabul. Alhamdulillah, all air traffic permits have been obtained and the plane landed in Islamabad on August 18 at 20:27 local time," he said.

Likewise with the coordination efforts with Hamid Karzai airport authorities, Kabul so that TNI AU aircraft are given a slot to land at Hamid Karzai Airport on August 19 morning at 04.10 local time. However, after getting a permit, suddenly the slot was withdrawn again and the landing permit was postponed.

"With this new situation, we have to apply for a new permit again. On August 19 at 11 am I again led the coordination meeting which was attended by the Jakarta-Islamabad and Kabul teams to conduct an assessment of conditions in Afghanistan, detailing the evacuation plan and efforts to obtain a new landing permit. We also decided that the plane would stay waiting in Islamabad," he said.

He added that in the early hours of August 20, information was obtained that a new landing permit had been obtained. The evacuation team immediately made preparations. The Indonesian Air Force plane departed for Kabul at 04.10 and arrived in Kabul at 05.17. The original plan, the plane only stopped for 30 minutes. However, dynamics occurred again so that the plane was at Kabul airport for approximately 2 hours.

"The Indonesian Air Force plane flew from Kabul at 07.10 and arrived in Islamabad at 08.11 local time to refuel and then flew back. Using the same route when departed," he said.