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RI frees 24 Indonesians detained in Yemen
The Indonesian Embassy in Yemen has rescued 24 Indonesians detained in turbulent Yemen and has provided them with shelter at the embassy, a diplomat said on Tuesday
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he Indonesian Embassy in Yemen has rescued 24 Indonesians detained in turbulent Yemen and has provided them with shelter at the embassy, a diplomat said on Tuesday.
'We have freed 21 Indonesians [on Tuesday]. So, we have freed a total of 24 people in a two-day operation,' said the Foreign Ministry's director for Indonesian national protection and legal aid, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal.
Iqbal said that most of the detainees were students who were arrested in cases related to immigration.
On Monday, the embassy in Sanaa started visiting each and every prison in Yemen to search for detained Indonesians.
Security conditions in Yemen have continued to deteriorate recently. It was reported that Saudi Arabia-led coalition warplanes pounded Yemen's Shiite rebels for a sixth day on Tuesday, destroying missiles and weapons depots and for the first time using warships to bomb the rebel-held airport and eastern outskirts of the port city of Aden.
The airstrike campaign by Sunni Arab states, which began last week, is meant to halt an advance by the Shiite rebels, known as the Houthis, who have overrun the country and forced Yemen's president to flee abroad.
According to data from the ministry, there are 4,159 Indonesians in Yemen, consisting of 2,626 students, 1,488 professionals and 45 embassy staff and their family members.
Iqbal said that the Indonesian government would send two special teams to evacuate Indonesian nationals in Yemen. 'The team will depart tomorrow [Wednesday],' he said as quoted by Antara news agency.
The evacuation scenarios would include air and ground operations via Oman and Saudi Arabia, he said.
The Saudi route, however, would be more complicated because Indonesians need a visa to enter the country. 'A more feasible route is through Muscat, where only a visa on arrival is required for Indonesians,' Iqbal said, adding that the scenarios were still being discussed.
Iqbal also said that the ministry had instructed Indonesian ambassadors to Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Oman to ask for flight clearances and protection from each country for both the air and ground operations.
The ministry has also coordinated with the Indonesian Air Force on the dispatch of its Boeing 737 to the relatively secure city of Al Hudaydah, where the airport is still functioning. (+++++)(++++)
