Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi confirmed on Thursday (3/10/2024) that at least 20 Indonesian citizens have been evacuated from Lebanon via a land route to Damascus, Syria, before being flown back to Indonesia.

“It's around 20-25 people,” she said, as quoted by antaranews.com.

Some Indonesians chose to remain in Lebanon for family reasons, not because they rejected evacuation, she added. “There are a few who opted to stay due to family considerations.”

Minister Retno noted that the timeline for their return to Indonesia remains uncertain as several Middle Eastern countries are implementing a flight closure system due to the conflict. 

The Indonesian government will repatriate them once conditions permit and will continue to monitor developments closely.

“We have a group of ambassadors in the region who report updates to me regularly,” Minister Retno said.

President Joko Widodo has urged for immediate evacuation, emphasizing the priority of their safety.

The evacuation follows escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah, with Israel launching a ground assault on Lebanon and Iran retaliating by firing hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)