India completes evacuation in Yemen, embassy to shut soon
India has ended its massive efforts to evacuate its nationals in Yemen, pulling out 5,600 people, including 4,640 Indians and 960 nationals from 41 countries, the government said.
India said on Friday it had wrapped up its massive evacuation mission in Yemen, having rescued 5,600 people, and that its embassy in the war-torn country would shut down soon.
“IAF completes its evacuation task. Last C-17 flight with 95 evacuees reached Kochi this morning. Total number of people evacuated by IAF's C-17 Globemaster III is 2096,” Sitanshu Kar, the spokesperson of the defence ministry, tweeted.
Earlier, external affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj too said the evacuation of stranded Indians had been completed and minister of state for external affairs V K Singh would return from Djibouti, from where he was monitoring the operation.
“The evacuation operation from Yemen is over. General VK Singh is returning tonight. We are closing our Embassy there," Swaraj tweeted.
A total of 4,640 Indians and 960 nationals from 41 countries were successfully evacuated by Indian warships, merchant vessels and air force planes.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted that more than 630 people were flown out of the Yemeni capital of Sanaa by three special Air India flights.
Akbaruddin said the total number of Indians evacuated from Sana'a by 18 special flights had crossed 2,900 since the beginning of the air operations. Naval vessels had evacuated more than 1,670 Indians from Aden, Al Hudaydah and Al Mukalla ports since March 31.
Yemen has been witnessing fierce fighting between a Saudi-led coalition and Houthi Shia rebels, who have battled their way into various cities of Yemen, including the former stronghold of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi who has fled the country.
Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.