RI plane delivers aid to Afghanistan

RI plane delivers aid to Afghanistan

LOGAR, Afghanistan (AFP): Indonesia sent a military transport plane carrying 30 tons of Red Cross medical supplies to strife torn Kabul yesterday.

"We are very happy that our aircraft landed safely and the first two deliveries of medical supplies have been made," Havid Abdulgani, Indonesian ambassador to Afghanistan told AFP.

The Hercules C-130 transporter made two deliveries of medical supplies -- 13 tons to Bagram airbase controlled by forces loyal to Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani and 16 tons to Logar airbase which is controlled by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the rival Hezb-i-Islami faction.

The first medical supplies were transported from the Red Cross depot in the eastern Afghan provincial capital Jalalabad. A further 50 tons of supplies will be transported today and tomorrow, said a Red Cross spokesman.

The spokesman said the delay in Pakistan which caused the cancellation of the first planned relief flight Thursday was caused by "minor problems in paper-work."

During the landing at Logar, a simple stretch of leveled desert, the Indonesian C-130 blew one of its tires.

"It's not a big problem, but it will take an hour or more to repair," said pilot-officer I.B. Anom as the flight crew from Indonesian Air Force Squadron 32 manhandled a spare tire out of the cargo hold.

Bad weather nearly scuttled the Logar flight. Just after leaving Jalalabad, winter storm clouds obscured looming mountain peaks cutting normal visibility to nil. The Indonesians had to rely on their multi-colored radar.

Flight deck tension eased when the clouds suddenly broke open.

At Logar, as with Bagram, the medical supplies were rapidly transferred from the C-130 to waiting Red Cross trucks by teams of Afghan volunteers.

Today the Indonesian C-130 will transport supplies including a large number of wheel-chairs and crutches for war-disabled. A large amount of winter clothing will also be ferried to Kabul.