'They kept riffles at our chest, looted us': Indian nationals evacuated from Sudan narrate ordeal
New Delhi, April 26: During the 72-hour ceasefire agreed upon by Sudan's two warring groups, countries have begun evacuating their citizens at breakneck speed, with India being one of the most recent to do so under Operation Kaveri.
As part of the rescue attempt, the Indian Air Force recently rescued another batch of 250 stranded Indians from conflict-torn Sudan. Two IAF C-130 J planes evacuated around 250 people from Port Sudan. On Wednesday, 135 more Indians were rescued from Sudan.
The Indians who had been evacuated from Sudan had their own story to tell. Narrating their ordeal, the rescued Indians said that the fight was so intense that it became an everyday struggle to even arrange for food.
"They kept us, hostage, for 8 hours. They kept riffles at our chest and looted us. Our mobiles were stolen," one of the Indian nationals evacuated from Sudan shared their experience.
Also Read | What is Operation Kaveri? India kicks off plan to evacuate citizens stranded in Sudan
"The fight was intense. We were struggling for food. The scenario continued for 2-3 days," another said.
Notably, Sudan has been witnessing violent clashes due to fighting between the army and the paramilitary forces. Furthermore, there are reports of violence even amid a 72-hour ceasefire.
"The tent of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was fixated near our company. Early morning at around 9, the forces entered our company. We were looted," another evacuated Indian said. "We kept in touch with the Embassy and told them to arrange for the buses, as we had diesel. The Indian Navy came and treated us well.”
As the conflict between the Sudanese Army and paramilitary groups continued in Khartoum, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced on Monday that the government's 'Operation Kaveri' to evacuate its residents from battle-torn Sudan is underway, with approximately 500 Indians having arrived in Port Sudan.
"Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan. About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan. More on their way. Our ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home. Committed to assisting all our brethren in Sudan," Jaishankar tweeted.
Also Read | Explained: Reason behind Sudan conflict and what's at stake
- ANI
