As ‘Operation Kaveri’ is on to evacuate Indian nationals from strife-torn Sudan, a C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Friday brought back home 392 people.  So far, 998 citizens have been brought to India. The latest evacuation was the third batch of Indians to be flown home  from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where India has set up a transit camp for the evacuees. “Another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches New Delhi,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.

The first batch carrying 360 evacuees was brought to New Delhi in a commercial plane on Wednesday. The second batch of 246 Indian evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C-17 Globemaster aircraft the next day. The total number of Indians who were brought back home now stands at 998, according to official data.

Under ‘Operation Kaveri,’ India is taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in Indian Air Force’s heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navy’s ships. From Jeddah, the Indians are brought back home in either commercial flight or IAF’s aircraft.

India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah, Port Sudan and the India embassy in Khartoum is coordinating with them besides being in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs headquarters here.

Sudan is witnessing deadly fighting between the country’s army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead.

Meanwhile, French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain on Friday thanked India for evacuating a staffer of the French embassy and her family from strife-torn Sudanese capital city of Khartoum.