Jeddah [Saudi Arabia], April 26 : The first batch of 278 Indians from strife-torn Sudan, which reached Jeddah onboard INS Sumedha, on Wednesday, was personally received by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan.
"Happy to receive 278 Indians from Sudan onboard INS Sumedha at Jeddah Port. Glad Saudi Director General, MFA, Jeddah Branch H.E.Mazin Hamad Al Himly joined me Thank Saudi authorities for excellent support in Jeddah. #OperationKaveri," V Muraleedharan tweeted.
Earlier, on Tuesday (local time), Indians stranded in Sudan departed from the conflict-torn country in the first phase of 'Operation Kaveri'. The third Saryu-class patrol vessel of the Indian Navy, INS Sumedha with 278 people onboard, departed from Port Sudan and has now successfully reached Jeddah.
The second batch of 121 stranded Indians has also left Port Sudan for Jeddah."Operation Kaveri unfolds. INS Sumedha docks in Jeddah with 278 passengers. Thank HH @FaisalbinFarhan and Saudi Arabian authorities for their fullest cooperation," External Affairs Minister Jaishankar tweeted.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that another vessel with 121 Indian returnees left Port Sudan for Jeddah.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Tuesday inspected the transit facility at the International Indian School, Jeddah where Indians evacuated from Sudan will be received & put up briefly before arriving in India.
"Inspected transit facility @IndianPage, Jeddah where Indians evacuated from Sudan will be received & put up briefly before travel to India. It is fully equipped incl with mattresses, provisions, fresh meals, toilets, medical facilities, Wifi. Has 24*7 control room. #OperationKaveri," the MoS wrote on Twitter.
As the fighting between the Sudanese Army and paramilitary groups intensified in the capital Khartoum, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed on Monday that its 'Operation Kaveri' to evacuate its citizens from battle-torn Sudan is underway and about 500 Indians had reached Port Sudan.
India launched "Operation Kaveri" to bring back stranded Indians from the war-torn country.
Meanwhile, Indian Navy's INS Teg on Tuesday joined 'Operation Kaveri' to further facilitate the ongoing evacuation of Indians stranded in Sudan. The frigate on Tuesday arrived at Port Sudan with additional officials and essential relief supplies for stranded Indians, a senior MEA official said.
"INS Teg joins #OperationKaveri. Arrives at Port Sudan with additional officials and essential relief supplies for stranded Indians," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Tuesday.
"Will boost ongoing evacuation efforts by Embassy Camp Office at Port Sudan," Bagchi added.
INS Teg is the fourth Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy.
In a recent development, warring factions in Sudan have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire on Monday after the US and Saudi Arabia mediated the truce while countries are engaged in evacuating their citizens from the country.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor