South Korea evacuates 97 from Lebanon in military aircraft amid escalating tensions
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Smoke billowing amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from southern Lebanon on Oct 4.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SEOUL – A total of 97 South Korean citizens and family members returned to South Korea from Lebanon on Oct 5 via a South Korean military transport aircraft as Middle East tensions rose, the South Korean foreign ministry said.
A KC-330 aircraft left Beirut on the afternoon of Oct 4 with the evacuees, who include Lebanese family members, and arrived at a military airfield in the south of Seoul, the ministry said.
Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Oct 2 had ordered military aircraft to be deployed immediately to evacuate its citizens from parts of the Middle East affected by escalating tension in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
South Korea’s defence ministry said it flew in a backup C130J transport plane, which is capable of operating on shorter runways and under fire, as a precaution, and sent 39 military personnel, including mechanics and diplomats.
The Korean government will take further actions to ensure the safety of its citizens, the foreign ministry said without elaborating.
South Korean diplomats stationed in Lebanon remained in the country, Yonhap news agency reported. REUTERS