358 Indians from Yemen back in Mumbai, Kochi
A batch of 190 Indians who were stranded in Yemen alight from the Indian Air Force C- 17 Globemaster aircraft at Mumbai international airport Thursday morning after being evacuated from Djibouti. Another 168 Indians landed in Kochi.
After the rescue of 358 Indians from Aden, another batch of over 300 were set to be evacuated from Al Hudaydah Thursday night through the sea route, even as the government made efforts to get clearance for air sorties to bring back its nationals from Sana’a. Yemen’s Houthi fighters and their allies seized a central Aden district on Thursday, striking a heavy blow against the Saudi- led coalition which has waged a week of airstrikes to try to stem advances by the Iran- allied Shia group. Hours after the Houthis took over Aden’s central Crater neighbourhood, unidentified armed men arrived by sea in an area of the city, which the Shia fighters are yet to reach.
After the rescue of more than 350 Indians from Aden, another batch of over 300 will be evacuated from Al Hudaydah Thursday night through sea route even as the government was making all efforts to get clearance for air sorties to bring back its nationals from Sana’a.
INS Sumitra, which had evacuated 350 Indians from Aden on Tuesday night, was dispatched to Al Hudaydah on Wednesday to pull out over 300 Indians from there.
According to officials, while the sea route has been opened for the evacuation operation “Raahat”, the government was making efforts to have the air route opened as well to rescue its nationals from Sana’a.
There are over 2,000 Indians in Sanaa.
“Another 300 plus on the cards. Evacuation of 300 plus Indian nationals from Al Hudaydah, Yemen by INS Sumitra being planned for Thursday,” the spokesperson in the exter- nal affairs ministry said. He further tweeted that “Diplomatic options being pursued to ensure safe return of all Indians from Yemen.”
Minister of state in external affairs Gen. V. K. Singh ( Retd), who is in Djibouti to oversee the evacuation operations, met foreign minister Mohamoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and thanked him for the help extended to India in the evacuation of its nationals.
Meanwhile, 358 evacuees, who were rescued from Aden by INS Sumitra and were taken to Djibouti, returned to India by two Indian Air Force Globemasters.
While one flight carrying 190 nationals landed in Mumbai, another one with 168 Indians landed in Kochi in early hours on Thursday.
According to rebels, Yemen has been witnessing a fierce battle between the Saudi- led coalition and Shia rebels, who have battled their way into the heart of Yemen’s main southern city Aden where fighting raged in the former stronghold of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who has fled overseas.
C- 17