Operation Kaveri: 297 more Indians rescued from Sudan

JEDDAH: As Operation Kaveri is underway, another batch of 297 Indians have been rescued from Sudan and have arrived at Jeddah by INS Teg, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said on Thursday.

Muraleedharan along with other officials of the Indian Navy received the rescued Indians at Jeddah.

He tweeted, "#OperationKaveri continues in swift pace. Happy to receive 297 Indians at Jeddah carried by INS Teg. With this second ship and total six batches, around 1,100 Indians rescued from Sudan have arrived in Jeddah. Repatriation to India of those arriving today will commence shortly."

After receiving Indian nationals at Jeddah harbour, Minister Muraleedharan also interacted with them and assured them of every possible help from the Government of India.

He said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has especially sent me here to welcome you all. For the last three days, I am here and it is good to see you coming back from Sudan."

"I am here to convey PM Modi's greetings to you all. He has said that wherever in the world, Indians are troubled, it is the responsibility of the Government of India to save them," he added.

"You have undergone a lot of difficulties coming back from a strife-torn area but now the Indian navy has taken care of you," Muraleedharan told the Indian nationals.

Vipin Harilal Mehta, who was among the rescued Indians, "We were stranded in the place where conflict had broken out. We reached Port Sudan by bus and as we reached there we came to know that under the leadership of PM Modi, Operation Kaveri is being carried out to save us."

Thanking the Indian Navy, Mehta added, "The real heroes, Indian defence personnel saved us and we did not face any problems. We have now reached Jeddah, from where we will go to our home. We are grateful towards our Prime Minister."

The auditorium, where the rescued Indians waited for further assistance, echoed with slogans praising Indian Navy. As ceasefires have been called in Sudan, the Government of India is carrying out Operation Kaveri to rescue the stranded Indians from the conflict-hit Northeast African country.

A total of around 1,100 Indians have been rescued so far.