Operation Kaveri: Special Forces Rescued Over Thousands of Indians in War-Stricken Sudan

Operation Kaveri has been effectively implemented and is still going on by the armed forces. As per the estimates drawn by the officials, about 3,000 thousands of Indians got trapped due to a civil war and bloodshed in the Northeast African country, Sudan.

As the Sudan clashes flared up in the thick of a power struggle, 1100 Indians have been transported from Sudan to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This emergency task was carried out collectively by the teams of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy. The reports claim that thousands of Indian citizens got stuck up in Khartoum (the capital of Sudan) and the Darfur district.

Another IAF C-130J flight under #OperationKaveri arrived at Jeddah with 128 Indians, the fourth aircraft from Sudan.

Efforts are on to ensure that all Indians, who arrived in Jeddah will be sent to India at the earliest. pic.twitter.com/KGoaNRb7mv

— V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 26, 2023

The Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) shows the chart of the massive release after the indigenous-developed navy ship INS Sumedha evacuated several Indians from disrupted Sudan. On April 25 (Tuesday) at 2:30 pm the ship left Port Sudan and successfully reached Jeddah Port. There were 278 people who travelled with relief. 

Why was battle spurred up in Sudan?

In mid-April, two major units of the military clashed over the power struggle. These 2 entities were Rapid Support Force (paramilitary force) and the Sudanese military. The rapidly growing civil war led to the assassination of hundreds of people. 

Tensions grew up after the 2019 revolt. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the government is closely observing the issue and a safe fleeing of Indians has been executed.  The Indian Embassy in Sudan announced that they are keeping themselves in touch with the Sudanese authorities and also with the UN, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and the United States, among others. 

#OperationKaveri - the next step.

The first C-130 lands flight lands in Jeddah with another 121 passengers. They will be reaching home soon. pic.twitter.com/uzjTwGxjFy

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 25, 2023

It was further confirmed that the two Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft are awaiting in Jeddah airport whereas INS Sumedha reached Port Sudan. The RSF is a paramilitary force that came into existence while the Sudanese military is the armed forces of Sudan’s Republicans. There were bombardments across the city and many died. 

Around 1100 Indians rescued so far from Sudan.#OperationKaveri in full swing 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/hUB9gypPLD

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 27, 2023

Operation Kaveri

While social media has been occupied with viral videos of the clashes that happened between the two military armies of Sudan, reports came that there were bulletproof vehicles all crowded on the streets. 

Saryu class petrol vessel, INS Sumedha was positioned to give immediate assistance to the stranded Indian people. They will soon be delivered to their homes and the mission has been successful. On April 23, this warship landed at Port Sudan. 

Our efforts to swiftly send Indians back home from Jeddah is paying.

246 Indians will be in Mumbai soon, travelling by IAF C17 Globemaster. Happy to see them off at Jeddah airport.#OperationKaveri. pic.twitter.com/vw3LpbbzGw

— V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 27, 2023

The Indian External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar asserted that the official “Operation Kaveri” has been put into action and more than 500 Indians have already been saved from the situation while others are underway. He also mentioned that giant ships and aircraft of India are constantly dedicated and deployed to bring these people back home.

It is expected that both aircraft of the Indian Air Force namely “C-130J” which were on standby in Jeddah might journey to India and carry Indians to their homeland. This is because the Sudanese airspace has been shut down for all foreign aircraft and logistical challenges, services and risks related to overland movement. 

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