Iraqi Air Force sends aid, evacuates citizens from Sudan

The Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that a team from the Iraqi Air Force, using C130 transport aircraft, has been dispatched to Sudan to provide assistance and evacuate Iraqi citizens from the country.

In a statement, the ministry said that under the direction of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Minister of Defense, and the Chief of Staff of the Army, and with the direct supervision of the Air Force Commander, an air bridge was opened for the second time between Iraq and Sudan on Friday, May 12, 2023. The mission aimed to provide medical aid and transport Iraqi citizens wishing to return from Sudan to Iraq.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement that the plane designated for evacuating Iraqi citizens from Port Sudan is now en route to Baghdad. The aircraft is carrying 141 Iraqi citizens, including 15 Syrian and Sudanese nationals.