Navy ship rescues 349 Indians from Yemen

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 1

349 Indians today reached Djibouti after being evacuated on an Indian Navy vessel from strife-torn Yemen's Aden city late last night and will fly to Mumbai soon.

This was the first immediate evacuation after the INS Sumitra, which had been waiting outside the Aden harbour, sailed in soon after India received clearance to dock its ships in the evening. It sailed into a barrage of bombs around 10:30 pm and left with 349 people on board around 1 am.

The ship, which was on regular anti-piracy duties, has self-defence weapons but cannot protect against multiple handheld weapons or shoulder-fired missiles.

The second phase of the rescue operation christened “Operation Raahat” will commence after two additional Indian Naval warships — INS Mumbai and INS Tarkash dispatched yesterday — will reach near Yemen. Two passenger liners MV Kavaratti and MV Corals have also departed from Kochi. 

The four ships will rendezvous in the Arabian Sea sometime late on April 1 and move as a composite group to Djibouti, located on the east coast of Africa and separated from Aden by narrow strait the Bab-El-Mandeb. Nearly 3,500 Indians are still stuck in other cities of the country.

International news agencies have reported intense fighting between the Saudi-led forces and the rebels on the outskirts of Aden. China and Pakistan have evacuated their nationals in the past two days.

Delhi evacuated 349 people to Djibouti by ship, from where an Air India plane and two IAF strategic airlifters C-17 – on standby in Delhi – will pick them up. The US and the French have their naval airbases in Djibouti which are to be used by the IAF planes and Air India.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought help from Saudi Arabia and called up King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. Modi sought Saudi Arabia’s support and cooperation in the evacuation. Recalling the “strong and close” relations between both nations, the Saudi King assured Modi of his full attention to the safety of Indians in Yemen and all possible assistance for their early and safe evacuation. The Prime Minister shared his deep concern about the safety and welfare of nearly 4,000 Indians in Yemen. He briefed His Majesty King Salman on India’s evacuation plan and sought his support and cooperation in the evacuation process. (With PTI inputs)