Indonesia again delays troops deployment to Middle East

Indonesia makes another postponement of the one-thousand-troop deployment for peace keeping operation to the Middle East to Nov. 9, a military spokesman said Monday.

"The troops will leave on Nov. 9," spokesman Major Irawadi said.

The departure of Indonesian troops to Lebanon has been delayed for two times due to technical problems. Earlier the troops' departure was decided at Oct. 10, but it was delayed to Oct. 17-19.

He said some of the equipment that can not be carried along with the soldiers will be shipped on Nov. 19.

The advance team consisting 125 persons will leave for the region on Oct. 28 or 29, according to the Indonesian Armed Forces Commander Air Marshall DJoko Suyanto.

The Indonesian troops will join with over 14,000 colleagues from several countries under the United Nations peace keeping mission to cement the ongoing cease fire toward peace in the region.

About 87 percent of the Indonesia's 240 million population are Muslim, making it the most populace Muslim country in the world.

More than 1,000 Lebanese and hundreds of Israelis were killed in the conflict.

About 2,000 international peace keepers are currently posted in the conflict zone.

Source: Xinhua