Operation Kaveri: 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan lands in Bengaluru

A batch of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan returned to India, as another 'Operation Kaveri' flight landed in Bengaluru on Friday evening.

"India welcomes back 362 Indians as another #OperationKaveri flight touches down in Bengaluru," External Affairs Minister S Jaishanar said on Twitter and shared a few photos of their arrival.

The special flight carrying 362 Indian evacuees had about 31 tribals from 'Hakki Pikki' community. "Bon voyage! Delighted to see off 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah. Good number of these are from Hakki Pikki tribe," MoS Muraleedharan tweeted before the flight left from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

The deadly fighting between Sudan's army and a paramilitary group, which broke out earlier this month, has reportedly left around 416 people dead and at least 3,551 injured.

"I am happy and sad at the same time because I left all my friends. They are going to different countries now," says a girl who returned from Sudan, with her family.

On the other hand, another batch of Indians is returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17.

"Glad to see happy and energetic faces of 392 of our nationals returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan. Saw them off at the aircraft. They will be with their beloved ones in India soon," Muraleedharan said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the tenth batch of 326 Indian evacuees from Sudan has reached Jeddah by INS TARKASH as the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in Khartoum and Darfur regions in Sudan.

India has launched 'Operation Kaveri' to bring back Indian nationals stuck in conflict-hit Sudan and other troubled areas of the country.

People are being evacuated in buses from the conflict zones in Sudan and being taken to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in Indian Air Force's heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships. The evacuees are then brought to India either by commercial flight or IAF aircraft.