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crazywin88 South Korea military aircraft evacuates 97 from Lebanon amid escalating tension
SEOUL: A South Korean military transport aircraft returned 97 citizens and family members from Lebanon on Saturday (Oct 5) as Middle East tensions rise, the country's foreign ministry said.
A KC-330 aircraft left Beirut on Friday afternoon with the evacuees, who include Lebanese family members, and arrived at a military airfield on the south of Seoul, the ministry said.
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday ordered military aircraft to be deployed to evacuate South Korean citizens from parts of the Middle East as conflict escalates between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as the armed group's backer, Iran.
South Korea's defence ministry said it flew a C130J transport plane as backup, which is capable of operating on shorter runways and under fire, as a precaution, and sent 39 military personnel, including mechanics and diplomats.
The 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 countrycrazywin88, Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korean nationals and their family members step off from South Korea's military aircraft after being evacuated from Lebanon, at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Saturday, Oct 5, 2024. (Korea Pool/Yonhap via AP)