First rescue flight from Juba lands in Thiruvananthapuram

According to officials, at least 500 more Indians will be evacuated in the course of the next few days after a civil war broke own between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city leaving more than 250 dead. “Operation Sankat Mochan” was conducted by the government to evacuate Indians from the violence-hit area of South Sudan.

On arrival at Delhi, Singh said: “We’ve brought back 156 Indian nationals, of whom 85 deplaned at Thiruvananthapuram airport. There are 9 women and children among those evacuated”. However around 300 of them refused to board the plane citing the ceasefire and improvement in the situation there, Singh said.

“We have been providing free AC third class tickets to the Indians evacuated from South Sudan to sent them their native states”, Deputy General Manager (IRCTC) Achyut Singh told IANS.

More than 146 Indians stranded in South Sudan’s capital Juba were evacuated yesterday.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj further stated that the Indian Air Force is carrying out the operation along with the Indian Railways and Air India, who will facilitate the onward journey. “As many as 300 Indians will stay there for their business purposes”.

At a press conference on Thursday, Chuol Rambang, the Chairman of the South Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission, asked for the support of the global community, saying they should not wait until it’s too late. The Germans have already withdrawn 100 of their citizens and other countries too are preparing to help their people return from the capital Juba where heavy fighting has broken out.

“The flight from South Sudan has landed in Delhi”.

On Thursday, a heavily armed Ugandan military convoy crossed into South Sudan to evacuate Ugandan citizens in Juba. Ideally, if India tends to its domestic economy and makes space to keep everyone usefully employed at home, there would not be so much immigration to potential danger zones. Gen Singh led the operation at that time as well.