An Indian Naval Ship INS Sumitra with 349 Indians evacuated from Aden in Yemen , docked at Djibouti today. Those evacuated include 101 women and 28 children. Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh is in Djibouti, a country neighbouring Yemen and across the Red Sea, to oversee the evacuation exercise christened ‘Operation Raahat’.
The government has launched a massive air and sea evacuation operation for its over 4,000 nationals in Yemen. Two warships have been pressed into service besides two passenger ships, while the Indian Air Force has put on stand-by two C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft.
Defence sources said, four ships, including destroyer INS Mumbai and stealth frigate INS Tarkash will reach Yemen by Saturday. Two merchant vessels – Kavaratti and Coral – have also been dispatched. The two 180-seater aircraft dispatched by Air India on Monday remain stuck in the Oman capital Muscat due to want of clearance from the authorities.
Fighting has been going on in Yemen since January 22, when the legitimate government under President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was ousted by Shiite Houthi forces. This has provoked the recent military campaign by a coalition of 10 countries led by Saudi Arabia.