1,500 Indonesian soldiers deployed to fight Borneo wildfires

Indonesia is deploying an additional 1,500 soldiers to Borneo, an official said on Saturday, to help tackle wildfires that have burned through swathes of the island and created thick smog choking some areas.

Fires between January and July burned over 200,000 hectares of land – an area three times the size of the capital Jakarta, the government said this week, as dry conditions driven by a powerful El Nino weather pattern take hold.

President Prabowo Subianto, on a visit to Borneo on Saturday to lead wildfire response meetings, ordered increased troop deployment, said Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.

“An additional three Indonesia National Armed Forces battalions, or around 1,500 personnel, will be brought in from outside Kalimantan starting today,” Teddy said in a statement.

Kalimantan is Indonesia’s part of Borneo, which the country shares with Brunei and Malaysia.

Six helicopters were also set to arrive on Saturday to boost waterbombing operations, Teddy said.