Operation Kaveri: Indian Navy Ship Carries First Batch Of Evacuated Indians From Conflict-hit Sudan To Jeddah

The Indian Navy has evacuated the first group of Indians stranded in conflict-marred Sudan, transporting them to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Photos tweeted by the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, showed Indians on INS Sumedha holding the national flag to express gratitude for the evacuation.

"First batch of stranded Indians leave Sudan under Operation Kaveri. INS Sumedha with 278 people onboard departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," Bagchi said in a tweet.

India is evacuating its citizens from Sudan due to ongoing fighting there between the army and a paramilitary group.

The government deployed two Indian Air Force transport aircraft in Jeddah and INS Sumedha at Port Sudan as part of Operation Kaveri.

Some 3,000 Indians were known to reside in Sudan.

Sudan's capital, Khartoum, remains unstable, with multiple reports of intense battles in different areas.