'Operation Kaveri' to bring back Indians from Sudan, says PM Modi

'Operation Kaveri' would be supervised by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the union government had launched Operation Kaveri to bring back Indians stranded in violence-hit Sudan and that it would be supervised by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan.

Modi, addressing a massive crowd at the Yuvam Conclave here, said that a son of Kerala -- Muraleedharan -- would be overseeing the evacuation operation.

The PM is on a two-day visit to Kerala where he will be attending a host of programmes, including flagging off of the Vande Bharat Express, and a meeting with top priests of the influential Christian community in the state.

The launch of the Sudan evacuation operation was announced earlier in the day by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

India had on Sunday said it had positioned two transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and a naval ship at a key port in Sudan as part of its contingency plans to bring back stranded Indians.

On Friday, the government had said it was focusing on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens presently located across Sudan.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group for the past 11 days, which has reportedly left more than 400 people dead.