India has begun evacuating its citizens from conflict-hit Sudan under "Operation Kaveri." Indian citizens are being evacuated in several batches by the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force aircraft.
The total number of Indians evacuated so far from Sudan stands at around 530, news agency PTI reported quoting official data.
"Operation Kaveri" is a rescue mission launched by the central government to evacuate stranded Indian citizens from Sudan where the Sudanese Army and paramilitary groups are fighting.
The warring factions in Sudan agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire on Monday after the US and Saudi Arabia mediated the truce while countries are engaged in evacuating their citizens from the country.
Under its evacuation mission, India has set up a transit facility at Jeddah and all the Indians have been taken to the coastal Saudi Arabian city after their evacuation from Sudan.
Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan is in Jeddah to oversee the evacuation mission.
"Happy to see off 360 Indians at Jeddah Airport in a flight bound for New Delhi. They will be reaching the motherland soon, reuniting with their families. Under #OperationKaveri the Government is working relentlessly to evacuate Indian nationals from Sudan & bring them home safely," junior foreign minister V Muraleedharan tweeted a video.
In the video, the Minister can be seen telling the citizens on board that PM Modi has vowed to bring back every Indian.
From Jeddah, India is set to bring back the Indians home in military transport aircraft of the Air Force.
"We cannot express our great attitude toward Modi ji. We have no words. What kind of work you have done, we have no words," said a passenger on board.
At a high-level meeting on Friday last, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued directions for preparation of contingency plans to evacuate Indians from Sudan.
At least 459 people have been killed and more than 4,000 wounded, according to Tuesday figures from UN agencies.
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