(2nd LD) Military jet carrying 96 S. Koreans arrives home from Lebanon amid escalating tensions

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout; CHANGES photos)
By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, Oct. 5 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean military aircraft brought 96 nationals home from Lebanon on Saturday, the foreign ministry said, in its first evacuation operation amid escalating tensions in the region.

The KC-330 military transport plane landed at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, at around 12:50 p.m., the ministry said. The military jet departed from Beirut on Friday afternoon (local time).

One Lebanese national, a family member of a South Korean citizen, was also on board, officials said.

The evacuation plan was implemented as hostilities between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group continue to escalate, making it increasingly difficult for foreign nationals in the Middle East to leave on commercial flights.

"Our government will continue to closely monitor the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East to ensure the safety of our citizens. We will take all necessary measures to protect them," the ministry said in a press release.

On Wednesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the immediate dispatch of military transport aircraft to bring South Korean citizens home.

As of Wednesday, approximately 130 South Korean nationals were in Lebanon, excluding diplomats and their families, a ministry official said on the condition of anonymity. Currently, South Korean diplomats and around 30 nationals are still staying in the nation.

There were around 110 nationals in Iran and another 480 in Israel, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Israel launched another series of airstrikes on Friday, hitting suburban Beirut and cutting off the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, affecting tens of thousands of people fleeing the Israeli bombardment.

More foreign countries continue to explore ways to protect their citizens, with some governments having chartered flights, while others issue warnings and offer assistance.

Seoul's foreign ministry said it will provide US$3 million worth of humanitarian aid to Lebanon amid rising casualties from Israel's military attack against Hezbollah.

The ministry said the assistance will help affected people in Lebanon ease their difficulties and quickly return to their daily lives.

The government has issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Israel and Lebanon, which strongly advises South Koreans there to leave the country immediately. The Level 4 travel ban, the highest of the four-scale travel warning system, has been applied for border regions of Israel and Lebanon.

khj@yna.co.kr
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