India begins ‘Operation Kaveri’ to rescue Indians stranded in Sudan

NEW DELHI: About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan under Operation Kaveri that has begun to evacuate nationals from the crisis-torn Sudan, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Monday.

“Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan. About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan. More on their way,” Jaishankar tweeted.

“Our ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home. Committed to assist all our bretheren in Sudan,” he said.

India has positioned two heavy-lift military transport aircraft in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and a naval ship at a key port in violence-hit Sudan as part of its contingency plans to evacuate its stranded nationals.

The development comes even as France and Saudi Arabia have evacuated some Indians along with citizens of other countries as part of their evacuation mission from Sudan.

Around 3,000 Indians are among the stranded foreign nationals, and a 48-year-old from Kerala, Albert Augustine, has been killed by a stray bullet.

Violent clashes that erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on April 15, continues unabated. According to Sudan’s Health Ministry, the violence has left at least 424 people dead and about 3,730 wounded. (IANS)

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