New Delhi, Apr 25 (FN Representative) India on Tuesday deployed a second naval ship, INS Teg, to join the evacuation process of Indian nationals from strife-hit Sudan under Operation Kaveri. INS Teg arrived at Port Sudan with essential relief supplies even as the first batch of 278 Indians set sail from Sudan on board INS Sumedha. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a tweet said: “INS Teg joins #OperationKaveri. “Arrives at Port Sudan with additional officials and essential relief supplies for stranded Indians. “Will boost ongoing evacuation efforts by Embassy Camp Office at Port Sudan.” Earlier, in a tweet the spokesperson said: “First batch of stranded Indians leave Sudan under #OperationKaveri.
“INS Sumedha with 278 people onboard departs Port Sudan for Jeddah.” INS Sumedha is headed for Jeddah where two IAF C-130J aircraft are on standby. The action by India comes as it launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate its over 3,000 citizens from Sudan. Around 500 Indians had reached Port Sudan yesterday and more are on their way, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. In a tweet, the EAM said that India’s ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home. Meanwhile, the two warring factions in the North African country have agreed to a three-day ceasefire.
The leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the rival Rapid Support Forces have agreed to halt the fighting starting from Tuesday after “intense negotiation” over the last two days, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. The ceasefire is meant to “establish humanitarian corridors, allowing citizens and residents to access essential resources, health care, and safe zones, while also evacuating diplomatic missions,” the RSF said.