Antara 24 Feb 19;
Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - A company of 100 soldiers from the Army`s Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) arrived in Riau province on Sunday to help fight forest and land fires in Rupat Island.
The soldiers will join the province`s forest and land fire control task force in combating forest and land fires on the island, the Wira Bima military resort command said in a press statement.
Led by First Lieutenant Imam Wahyudi, the soldiers from the Kostrad`s armed battalion were flown to Riau from the Halim Perdanakusuma military base in East Jakarta by an Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) Hercules plane.
They are equipped with masks, gloves, boots and fight instruments.
In carrying out their duties, they will also be equipped with fire extinguishers.
A day before the arrival of the soldiers at Pinang Mapai airport in Dumai city, Chief of the National Defense Forces (TNI) Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, along with Commander of the Bukit Barisan Regional Military Command Major General MS.Fadilah and Commander of the Wira Bima Regional Military Resort Brigadier General M. Fadjar, MPICT inspected the land and forest fires on Rupat island.
The TNI chief said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has ordered the TNI to help fight the land and forest fires on the island.
He said a number of personnel will be deployed in areas prone to land and forest fires. They will sleep in the areas and prevent land and forest fires from happening.
Reporting by FB Anggoro, Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
