Jakarta, April 22 -- Indonesia officially launched its 2026 Hajj pilgrimage on Tuesday, with the first group of 391 pilgrims departing from Jakarta as authorities ensured readiness, compliance and smooth coordination for one of the world's largest annual religious journeys.

Hajj and Umrah Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf oversaw the send-off of the initial batch at the Jakarta-Pondok Gede embarkation point on Tuesday evening (April 21), marking the start of this year's nationwide pilgrimage operations.

The group, comprising 391 pilgrims from East Jakarta, departed in stages from the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, where they boarded flights bound for Saudi Arabia.

"Today, we witness...