Sudan Crisis: India Launches Operation Kaveri To Evacuate Indians From Sudan

India on Monday launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate Indian nationals from violence-hit Sudan.

For over a week now, Sudan is being battered by two rival factions in a power struggle. Its regular army and a paramilitary group are fighting and hundreds have died so far, including in the capital Khartoum. One Indian national has also died in the fighting. 

Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on Monday tweeted that Indian ships and aircraft are set to bring Indians home. He further said that around 500 Indians are already in the Port of Sudan and more are on their way to get there to leave the country.

Earlier on Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said two Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft were ready in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and an Indian Navy ship was ready at a key port in Sudan as part of its contingency plans to evacuate the stranded Indians.

Earlier on Friday, the Union government had said it was focusing on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens presently located throughout Sudan. So far, some Indian nationals have also been evacuated by French and Saudi rescue efforts.

The Indian evacuation of its nationals come at a time when a number of countries, such as the United States, United Kingdom, and France, are evacuated their officials and civilians from Sudan where attempts to bring the two warring side to a halt have so far not been very fruitful. 

The United States and UK have evacuated their diplomats and their families from Sudan.