Australia deploys military aircraft to Middle East in contingency planning
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Australian Parliament that "military assets" had been deployed to the Middle East.
PHOTO: EPA
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SYDNEY – Australia has deployed two military aircraft to the Middle East as part of contingency planning, two officials told AFP on March 5.
Countries have rushed to evacuate their citizens from the Middle East this week after US-Israeli strikes on Iran
Officials told AFP that Australia had deployed a heavy transport aircraft and a fuel transport aircraft to the Middle East as part of plans to get its citizens out.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also told Parliament on March 5 that “military assets” had been deployed to the Middle East, though he did not give further details.
“I thank those Australians going into a dangerous situation in order to help their fellow Australians,” he said.
Officials told AFP the best way for Australians to get home was on commercial flights.
On March 4, the first of those flights flew into Sydney from Dubai.
Australia has said it has 115,000 citizens in the region.
New Zealand also ordered two military aircraft to the Middle East on March 5, in preparation for evacuations of its citizens from the region. AFP
