Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi And TNI Commander Will Welcome Indonesian Citizens Evacuated From Afghanistan

Civilians await evacuation at Kabul airport, Afghanistan. (Twitter/@DeptofDefense)

JAKARTA - If nothing goes wrong, the Indonesian Air Force (AU) aircraft carrying Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were evacuated from Kabul, Afghanistan will arrive at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, Jakarta on Saturday, August 21 at 02.00 WIB.

Previously, as many as 26 Indonesian citizens were evacuated from Afghanistan, along with the success of Taliban militants entering Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, occupying the presidential palace and forcing President Ashraf Ghani to flee abroad.

"The plan is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Retno Marsudi) and the Commander of the TNI (Marshal TNI Hadi Tjahjanto)," said Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah to VOI, Friday, August 20.

Previously, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi reported on the successful evacuation of Indonesian citizens from Kabul, Afghanistan using Indonesian Air Force aircraft. The plane had transited in Islamabad, Pakistan, before continuing its journey to Indonesia.

"Alhamdullilah, the Indonesian government has succeeded in evacuating Indonesian citizens from Kabul, Afghanistan with Indonesian Air Force aircraft. The aircraft is currently in Islamabad to continue flights to Indonesia," wrote Foreign Minister Retno on the official Twitter account of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.

Apart from Indonesian citizens, Filipinos and Afghans were also evacuated. Thus, a total of 33 people were evacuated on this occasion.

"The evacuation team brought 26 Indonesian citizens including Indonesian Embassy staff, 5 Filipino citizens, and 2 Afghan citizens (husbands of Indonesian citizens and local Indonesian Embassy staff)," wrote Foreign Minister Retno.

For information, citing Reuters, NATO said about 18,000 people have been evacuated to this day, since the Taliban succeeded in seizing the Taliban at the weekend.