New Delhi/Mysuru: India has launched ‘Operation Kaveri’ to bring back its citizens stranded in war-torn Sudan.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said yesterday that the Government is committed to assisting all brethren in Sudan. The Minister also informed that around 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan, while more are on their way.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country’s army and paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces for the last 10 days which has reportedly left around 600 persons dead.

“Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan. Our ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home,” Jaishankar tweeted  sharing the photos of evacuated citizens.

According to the Indian Embassy in Khartoum, there are around 2,800 Indian nationals in Sudan. Along with this, there is also a settled Indian community of around 1,200 people — which has been in the country for nearly 150 years.

India has put two military transport aircraft and a patrol vessel on standby in Jeddah and Port Sudan, respectively. Their assessment is that the situation continues to be unstable due to heavy fighting, including in several locations in Khartoum. “As part of our preparations and in order to move swiftly, the Government is pursuing multiple options,” the External Affairs Ministry said.

Five Indian nationals have been evacuated so far through a French Air Force flight and were brought to France’s military base in Djibouti along with people of over 28 other nationalities, reported news agencies citing French Diplomatic sources. Along with this, three flights have brought approximately 500 evacuees to France’s military base.

Meanwhile, relatives of over 116 Hakki-Pikki tribes from Tiger Block in H.D. Kote and Pakshirajapura in Hunsur stuck in Sudan are happy about the rescue operation.

They said that they got information that the Indian Embassy in Sudan will send a bus to rescue their relatives and family members from Al Fashir to Port Sudan, from where they will be evacuated to India.

P.S. Nanjunda Swamy, State President of Karnataka Adivasi Budakattu Hakki Pikki Jananga, said they are continuously in touch with Mysuru Deputy Commissioner (DC) and are happy to know about the rescue operation.