NEW DELHI: Even as the evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan under Operation Kaveri continues, India went a step further and helped evacuate a French Embassy staffer from Khartoum.
"My heartfelt thanks to India for evacuating a local staff member of the French Embassy in Khartoum and her family in an IAF flight on Thursday night. Indo-French solidarity never falters," said Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India.
Two days back, the French evacuation team evacuated five Indians from Sudan.
Meanwhile, despite ceasefire violations which also led to a Turkey-bound aircraft being shot at, Operation Kaveri continues.
Until now, 11 batches of stranded Indians have left for Jeddah. They were transported from Port Sudan to Jeddah in an IAF C130J aircraft.
Meanwhile, a number of people from the Hakki Pakki tribe too have been evacuated from Sudan and reached Jeddah.
"The 10th batch of 326 Indian evacuees from Sudan reached Jeddah by INS Tarkash. They will be sent back to India soon. Meanwhile, we sent back 362 Indians on a flight bound for Bengaluru – most of them being from the Hakki Pakki tribe," said Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan.
Muraleedharan has been stationed in Jeddah to oversee the evacuation of Indians from Sudan to India via Jeddah.
Earlier in the day, an aircraft bound for Delhi too left Jeddah.
"A batch of 392 Indians flew back to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster. They will be with their loved ones soon," said Muraleedharan.
According to estimates, nearly 2000 Indians are in the safe zone now -- which means that they are out of the strife-torn areas of Khartoum and are either in Port Sudan or Jeddah or are homebound to India.