Operation Kaveri: First Batch of 278 Citizens Flown to Safety in Jeddah
Operation Kaveri: On Tuesday, Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for India's External Affairs Ministry, posted photos of evacuated passengers on board the ship holding the Indian flag and thumbs up to the camera.
The first batch of Indians stranded in Sudan has left as part of Operation Kaveri. INS Sumedha, carrying 278 people, departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted Bagchi.
When a confrontation between the country's army and the paramilitary group erupted 10 days ago, it was projected that 3,000 Indians were stuck in Sudan.
The combat between Sudan's army and a paramilitary organisation has reportedly killed 400 people in the last 12 days.
Operation Kaveri to evacuate its nationals from Sudan
India launched 'Operation Kaveri' on Monday i.e. April 24 to return its people from Sudan, which has been suffering violent conflict as a result of a power struggle between the regular army and a paramilitary group.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar stated that ships and planes had been dispatched to bring trapped Indians home and that 500 people had been relocated to Sudan's Port Sudan.
He went on to say that the country was "dedicated to assisting all our brethren in Sudan."
Earlier, the French Embassy in Delhi announced that "388 people from 28 countries, including Indian nationals," had been evacuated.
Saudi Arabia had also rescued three Indians who had been stuck in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, aboard a Saudi jet.
Prime Minister reviewed the situation in Sudan
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a conference to assess the situation in Sudan and requested that "contingency evacuation plans" be prepared for Indians stranded there.
According to the foreign ministry, India is "coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians stranded in Sudan," and Indian Air Force jets are on standby in Jeddah.
Indians stuck in Sudan reported living in dread and being unable to obtain essentials such as food, water, and electricity.
After 48 hours of negotiations, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the army and the RSF had reached a 72-hour truce.
It was the fourth attempt to halt the combat after previous truces had been broken.