11 Japanese nationals flee Lebanon on SDF plane

Eleven Japanese nationals and five foreign nationals have fled Lebanon for Jordan aboard a Air Self-Defense Force C-2 transport aircraft, the Japanese government said Friday.

This was the first evacuation of Japanese nationals from Lebanon using SDF aircraft since tensions flared up in the Middle East in October last year. A similar mission has been conducted twice in Israel.

About 50 Japanese nationals stayed in Lebanon as of Thursday, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

The ministry has urged Japanese nationals to leave Lebanon immediately as about half of commercial flights have been canceled there due to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Two ASDF C-2 planes had been on standby in Jordan to evacuate Japanese nationals from Lebanon.