Japan's Defense Minister Koizumi hails troops back from Indonesia fires

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi expressed his delight on Sunday over the return of Self-Defense Forces personnel who had fought forest fires in Indonesia. At a homecoming ceremony, Koizumi described the mission as "an unprecedented firefighting mission carried out under harsh conditions overseas." The event was attended by those who operated the Ground Self-Defense Force's CH-47 transport helicopters and the crew members of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's transport ship Kunisaki, which carried the helicopters.

This marked the first time Japanese SDFs had participated in overseas firefighting operations. In September, the Defense Ministry confirmed that the Kunisaki had arrived in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, to assist the Indonesian military with aerial firefighting. Koizumi noted Indonesia's repeated expressions of gratitude and emphasized that the successful mission had strengthened the trust between the two nations, enabling them to assist each other in times of need.

The fires, which are partly due to land clearing, have been burning for several months, primarily on Borneo and Sumatra, causing extensive damage to tropical forests and generating a toxic haze that has spread to neighboring countries.