India’s massive operation using assets at its disposal to evacuate its nationals from strife-torn Yemen has made no less than 23 countries to seek help from it to evacuate their nationals as well.
Revealing this, foreign minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday tweeted: “Twenty three countries have requested India to evacuate their citizens from Yemen.”
On Sunday, the minister had assured that all Indian nationals would be evacuated from the strategically-placed country in the Middle East.
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) had earlier confirmed that 488 Indians had been evacuated from Sanaa, while a further 182 were rescued from coastal town Ash Shihr.
This followed the rescue of 439 Indians by the Indian Navy’s guided-missile destroyer INS Mumbai from Yemen’s port city Aden on Saturday.
Twenty three countries have requested India to evacuate their citizens from Yemen.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 6, 2015
Earlier on Monday, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said “nearly all Indians would be evacuated from Yemen by Monday evening,” as he praised the Navy for facilitating safe return of people from the Arab country where fighting is raging between security forces and Houthi rebels.
Parrikar, who was in Mumbai to inaugurate the undocking of first Scorpene submarine, said, “Almost all Indians would be evacuated from the strife-torn Yemen by this evening.”
Praising the Navy for its “great job” in ensuring safe passage of Indians from the troubled spot under rescue exercise named “Operation Rahat”, Parrikar said “so far we have evacuated 3,000 Indians and some foreigners in desperate situation.”
He said the operation was carried out effectively without causing injuries or loss of life to any Indians.
“Though it was a very volatile situation not a single bullet was fired by the Indian Navy though adequate preparations were made,” he said.
The operation began on March 30 and the Navy sent its warships INS Tarkash, INS Mumbai and INS Sumitra (which was on an anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden) to bring back Indians working in that country.
INS Mumbai charged ahead to enter the Yemen port while INS Tarkash escorted two ships from the Shipping Corporation of India.
NAME OF COUNTRIES SEEKING INDIA’S HELP IN EVACUATING THEIR NATIONALS :::
Bangladesh
Cuba
Czech Republic
Djibouti
Egypt
France
Germany
Hungary
Iraq
Indonesia
Ireland
Lebanon
Malaysia
Nepal
Philippines
Romania
Slovenia
Sri-Lanka
Singapore
Sweden
Turkey
USA
Yemen
