'Operation Kaveri': India brings back home another batch of 186 people; SpiceJet plans to operate more flights

Under the evacuation mission, 754 people arrived in India in two batches on Friday

People rescued from Sudan standing in front of an Indian aircraft holding the Indian flag (Photo Courtesy: @DrSJaishankar)
People rescued from Sudan standing in front of an Indian aircraft holding the Indian flag (Photo Courtesy: @DrSJaishankar)
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PTI

 India on Monday brought back home another batch of 186 people under 'Operation Kaveri' that was launched a week back to evacuate Indians stranded in violence-hit Sudan.

'#OperationKaveri continues to bring Indians back home. Flight carrying 186 passengers touches down in Kochi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

On Sunday, 229 Indians arrived in Bengaluru while 365 people reached Delhi the day before.

Under the evacuation mission, 754 people arrived in India in two batches on Friday.

The total number of Indians who have been brought back home now stands at 2,140, according to official data.

The Indians were brought back home from the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah where India set up a transit camp for the evacuees. The first batch of 360 evacuees returned to New Delhi in a commercial plane on Wednesday.

The second batch of 246 Indian evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Thursday.

Under 'Operation Kaveri', India has been taking its citizens in buses from the conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in Indian Air Force's heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships.


From Jeddah, the Indians are being brought back home in either commercial flights or IAF's aircraft.

India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah, Port Sudan and the India embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them besides being in touch with the MEA's headquarters in Delhi.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday last announced the launch of 'Operation Kaveri' to evacuate and bring back the stranded Indians from Sudan. 

 SpiceJet on Monday said it plans to operate more flights from Saudi Arabia to different Indian cities to bring back people evacuated from Sudan.

The no-frills airline operated a flight from Jeddah to Kochi on April 30 and brought back 184 Indians under Operation Kaveri.

In a release, the carrier said it is in regular touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to coordinate further evacuation efforts.

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