New Delhi:India on Saturday brought back home a fresh batch of 365 people under its mission to evacuate stranded Indians from strife-torn Sudan. "More Indians come back home under #OperationKaveri. 365 passengers have just landed in New Delhi," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.
The return of the fresh batch of Indians came a day after 754 people arrived in India in two batches under the evacuation mission. The total number of Indians who were brought back home now stands at 1,725, according to official data. The Indians were brought back home from the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah where India set up a transit camp for the evacuees.
The first batch of 360 evacuees returned to New Delhi in a commercial plane on Wednesday. The second batch of 246 Indian evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C17 Globemaster aircraft of the IAF on Thursday. Under Operation Kaveri, India has been taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in Indian Air Force's heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships.
From Jeddah, the Indians are being brought back home in either commercial flight or IAF's aircraft. India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah, Port Sudan and the India embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them besides being in touch with the MEA's headquarters in Delhi.
Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Monday announced the launch of the mission to evacuate 'Operation Kaveri' to bring back the stranded Indians from Sudan. (PTI)
