Mumbai: India on Monday evacuated 1052 of its nationals from Yemen, taking the total number of Indians rescued from the strife-torn country to nearly 3,300 as the government was looking at wrapping up the massive evacuation operation 'Rahat' in a couple of days.
While 574 Indians were evacuated from Sanaa by Air India, which did three sorties, another group of 479 was rescued from Al Hudaydah by INS Mumbai, the Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry.
With nearly 3,300 of its nationals out of Yemen, India was looking at wrapping up the evacuation operation in a couple of days.
Earlier, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar praised the Navy for facilitating safe return of people from the Arab country where fighting is raging between security forces and Houthi rebels.
"Almost all Indians would be evacuated from the strife -torn Yemen by this evening," said Parrikar, who was in Mumbai to inaugurate the undocking of first 'Scorpene' submarine.
Saying the Navy has done a "great job" in 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 ships '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.
The Indian Air-Force pressed C17 Globemaster aircraft to bring the evacuees to India from Djibouti where they were brought from Yemen.
INS Mumbai charged ahead to enter the Yemen port while INS Tarkash escorted two ships from the Shipping Corporation of India (Ex-cochin).
The Gulf of Aden comes under the operational area of the Western Naval Command of the Navy.
Yemen, a strategically important country, is witnessing, fierce fighting between forces loyal to the beleaguered President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and rebels known as Houthis. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition is bombing rebels.
