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By India Today News Desk: As India intensifies Operation Kaveri to rescue stranded Indians from crisis-hit Sudan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said the eighth, ninth and tenth batches of stranded Indians left Sudan for Jeddah. The fighting broke out in Sudan on April 15 as the result of a bitter power struggle between the regular army and RSF, which has left more than 500 people dead.
The 10th batch with 135 Indian citizens, who were stranded in conflict-ridden Sudan, have successfully departed from Port Sudan on an IAF C 130J flight, the MEA spokesperson Arindam said.
“INS Tarkash bolsters #OperationKaveri efforts! 9th batch of Indians leaves Port Sudan for Jeddah with 326 passengers onboard,” Arindam Bagchi said in an earlier tweet.
Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan took to his Twitter and wrote, “Port Sudan to Jeddah. 9th batch 135 Indians IAF C 130 J Welcome to the safe hands #OperationKaveri.”
“An IAF C-130J flight takes off from the Wadi Seidna Air Base under #OperationKaveri. This is the 8th batch of evacuees with 121 passengers enroute to Jeddah.” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
“A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna,Sudan.This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group.Warm welcome,” V Muraleedharan said in another tweet.
An Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft with 246 Indians evacuated from war-torn Sudan landed in Mumbai on Thursday. The plane, which took off from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia around 11 am IST, landed at the city airport at 3.15 pm, an official told PTI. The passengers included at least two on wheelchairs.
“Another #OperationKaveri flight comes to Mumbai. 246 more Indians come back to the motherland,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.
OPERATION KAVERI
In the backdrop of intense fighting going on between the regular army and a paramilitary force in Sudan, India on Monday launched Operation Kaveri to bring back its nationals. Under its evacuation mission ‘Operation Kaveri’, India is taking the evacuees to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah from where they are returning home.
ALSO READ | Sudan burning: What led to armed conflict and how India plans to rescue stranded citizens
In Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Thursday termed the security situation in Sudan as very complex, highly volatile and unpredictable.
India has also set up a transit facility at Jeddah and Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan is overseeing the evacuation mission from the Saudi Arabian city.
India on Sunday said it has positioned two transport aircraft of the IAF in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and naval ship INS Sumedha at Port Sudan as part of its contingency plans to evacuate the stranded Indians.
MEA ASSURES ALL POSSIBLE HELP
There are around 2,800 Indian nationals stranded in Sudan, as per the website of the Indian Embassy in Khartoum. The MEA has assured that all possible measures were being taken to ensure the safety and security of Indian citizens who are stuck in the violence hit-nation.
The armed forces are working round the clock to evacuate all the Indian citizens from the conflict-ridden region.
On April 25, India evacuated the first batch of 278 Indians from Sudan onboard naval ship INS Sumedha. It also rushed in essential relief supplies for its remaining stranded citizens amid the ceasefire in the strife-torn African country.
India’s Navy second ship, INS Teg, arrived in Port Sudan to help with the evacuation process. This was done in continuation with the rapid mobilisation of naval and air assets for a quick and safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan.
On April 26, India evacuated at least 534 Indian nationals from Sudan. A C-130J military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force brought to Jeddah 392 Indians from Port Sudan in three flights on Wednesday.
ALSO READ | Tracking Operation Kaveri: India’s massive rescue op for stranded citizens in Sudan
SUDAN VIOLENCE
Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been reports of violence in many parts of the nation.
Clashes have occurred between soldiers who support Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army leader, and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the commander of the Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF), who is his deputy.
In an effort to ensure the safety of Indian nationals in Sudan, the Indian government has sent military planes and warships to the country.
(With agency inputs)
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