The Japanese Self-Defense Troops will start withdrawing from Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged Aceh Friday to end their humanitarian mission, a Japanese official said Tuesday.

The Japanese servicemen will be withdrawn beginning March 4 and until March 15, its commander Muramoto was quoted by the Antara new agency as saying.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of a ceremony held together with the Indonesian Naval troops at the Iskandarmuda Air Force base in the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh.

Muramoto said the 980 Japanese servicemen that arrived mid January for the humanitarian mission consist of army, navy and airforce troops.

Meanwhile, Aceh disaster and refugee management task force vice commander Untung Purwadi expressed his gratitude to the Japanese servicemen for their hard work in Aceh.

A number of foreign countries including Australia, Russia, Singapore, the United States and Japan sent troops to Aceh for humanitarian mission following the Dec. 26 disaster.

Four foreign states withdrawn their servicemen from Aceh last month.
 
(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2005)