The Indian Foreign Ministry has stated that it has put two heavy aircraft on standby in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah to evacuate Indian citizens stuck in Sudan amid the ongoing fighting between the army and paramilitary troops.
An Indian Navy ship has also reached the port in Sudan, Arindam Bagchi, a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
"As part of our preparations, and in order to move swiftly, the Government of India is pursuing multiple options. Two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. And, INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan," the statement read.
Arindam Bagchi Post On Situation In Sudan
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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said contingency plans for the evacuation of Indians had been implemented. But any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation.
Many nations during the weekend launched operations to evacuate their nationals and diplomatic corps from Sudan on Sunday as the local parties to the conflict committed to a three-day religious ceasefire. Russia has evacuated its nationals from Sudan's conflict areas to its embassy in Khartoum.
On April 15, violent clashes broke out between the Sudanese regular army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with the epicenter in the country's capital, Khartoum. The government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of the Sudanese military, issued a decree disbanding the RSF.
Meanwhile, Sudan's Health Ministry suggests the death toll exceeds 60 and the World Health Organization said 3,551 people are injured.