New Delhi: The security situation in Sudan is very complex, highly volatile and unpredictable and India’s objective is to get every stranded Indian in that country out of harm’s way, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Thursday.

“The situation on the ground is very complex, highly volatile and unpredictable. We have been in touch with both SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) and RSF (Rapid Support Forces). Our relations have been good. We are in touch with all sides to get the Indians from conflict zones to safe areas and then to Port Sudan,” Kwatra said at a media briefing.

“We are willing to provide all assistance. This is subject to fulfilment of all the procedures required,” he said. Kwatra said about 1,700 to 2,000 Indian nationals had been evacuated from conflict zones. They include Indians who have reached India,

Saudi Arabia or Port Sudan. According to the MEA, 3,100 have registered online and another 300 are in touch with the Indian Embassy in Sudan. There are also nearly 1,000 PIOs as well in Sudan.

Highly Volatile

The situation on ground is very complex, highly volatile and unpredictable… We are in touch with all sides to get the Indians from conflict zones to safe areas and then to Port Sudan.

Thursday saw 246 Indians arrive in Mumbai in Indian Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster. On Wednesday, 360 Indians had reached Delhi, bringing the total number of returnees to 606.

India has been in touch with both the warring factions in Sudan and other stakeholders, enabling it to evacuate its citizens after receiving a positive response from all concerned. The Indian Navy has deployed its warships INS Sumedha, INS Teg and INS Tarkash while the Indian Air Force has deployed its strategic lift transport aircraft which take the evacuated Indians to Jeddah, from where they are flown to India. “Our objective and target is to take the stranded Indians out of harm’s way as early as possible... Our effort is to get every stranded Indian out of harm’s way and into an area of relative safety and then to Port Sudan and back here (India),” said the Foreign Secretary.

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan is monitoring the evacuation operation from Jeddah.

Kwatra also thanked Saudi Arabia for its assistance that included permissions for the landing and docking of Indian military transport aircraft and naval ships in Jeddah.

India had launched ‘Operation Kaveri’ on Monday to bring back the stranded Indians from Sudan.

Many of the evacuated Indians told the media that their material possessions had been reduced to just the clothes they were wearing and the Indian passport. The homes of many were looted by armed gangs while some were robbed on their way to Port Sudan.