First batch of 278 Indians leave Sudan under ‘Operation Kaveri’

The first batch of Indians stranded in conflict-hit Sudan left the country onboard India's naval ship INS Sumedha under Operation Kaveri on Tuesday.

"First batch of stranded Indians leave Sudan under Operation Kaveri. INS Sumedha with 278 people onboard departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

The evacuation comes a day after India launched Operation Kaveri, a rescue operation to evacuate Indians stranded in conflict-hit Sudan where clashes have erupted between the Sudanese military and rebel paramilitary forces.

India had commissioned two heavy-lift aircraft in Jeddah and the INS Sumedha at Port Sudan as part of its contingency plans to evacuate Indians from the African country.

"As part of the evacuation plan, two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. And, INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan," the Ministry of External Affairs has said.

The resucue operation is focusing on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens currently located throughout Sudan.

Heavy fighting, including air strikes and artillery barrages, have killed more than 400 civilians, and left some neighbourhoods of greater Khartoum in ruins.

On Tuesday, sporadic gunfire rang out in parts of Khartoum despite a US-brokered agreement between the warring generals to cease fire for 72 hours to pave the way for talks on a more lasting truce, news agency AFP reported.