Watch: 278 Indians leave Sudan warzone as more Navy ships join Operation Kaveri

The first batch of stranded Indians left Sudan on Tuesday as India intensified ‘Operation Kaveri’ to rescue its citizens from the ongoing brutal internal conflict in the African country.  

As massive armed clashes continue to take place in and around the capital Khartoum between units of the Sudanese army and the Rapid Reaction Forces, Indian Naval Ship Sumedha departed Port Sudan for Jeddah with 278 people onboard.

A city in the Red Sea that handles the majority of the country’s international trade, Port Sudan is about 800 km east of the Sudanese capital.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, currently on a tour of Central America, revealed on Monday that about 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan and more are on their way.

While Indian Navy’s mission deployed warship INS Sumedha was diverted for evacuation of the stranded citizens from the Northeast African country, two Indian Air Force C-130J have also been kept on standby in Jeddah to bring citizens back home.

Guided missile stealth frigate INS Teg and INS Tarkash, which have been on long-range overseas deployment in the region, are also joining INS Sumedha in rescue operations.

As reported by IndiaNarrative.com, Indian warships participated in Maritime Partnership Exercises with the Sudanese Navy and the Royal Moroccan naval ships off Casablanca port last October.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Embassy of India in Djibouti said that the Mission has arranged essential supplies and services for the vessel INS Tarkash, which shall soon join INS Sumedha and INS Teg in ‘Operation Kaveri’ to evacuate Indian citizens from Sudan.

The Indian government has said that it is making “all-out efforts” to ensure the safety and security of Indians stranded in Sudan.

This includes coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Sudan are keeping in regular touch with not only the Sudanese authorities but also with the United Nations, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and the United States among others.

France announced Monday that it has evacuated 388 people from Khartoum, including Indian citizens.

Titled ‘Sagittaire’, the French military operation is being carried out in support with the country’s forces pre-positioned in Africa, in particular the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDj) which are providing reception to the evacuees.

In spite of repeated calls for a humanitarian, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire for the protection of civilians, the situation in the African country remains extremely volatile.