New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) In its latest rescue operation, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has evacuated another 192 people from war-torn Sudan.

The crew flew through extended duty periods of nearly 24 hours to get some of the last stranded countrymen back to India, the IAF said.

The aircraft carried additional fuel from Jeddah to avoid a situation of non-availability of fuel and refuelling delays in Sudan.

Officials said the mission was "one of a kind" with the aircraft carrying 192 passengers, mostly ladies, children and elderly persons, who were either NRIs, foreign nationals or OCIs (Overseas Citizens of India).

Senior officers of the Indian Air Force said the heavy aircraft -- C-17 Globemaster -- was required to be flown directly to India without any halts.

An IAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft that took off from Ghaziabad's Hindon Airbase on May 3 flew through the night to land in the early morning hours at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

The aircraft refuelled at Jeddah to undertake a non-stop flight from Jeddah, via war-torn Sudan, to India.

During the entire duration of the ground operations in Sudan, the aircraft engines were kept running to stay prepared for the situation of making a quick exit from the airfield -- in case of such a need arising.

The IAF said that the crew encountered another unplanned emergency when one of the passengers became unconscious during the flight. This situation was immediately and proficiently handled by the crew who administered the passenger oxygen to stabilise him.

The aircraft landed at Ahmedabad on May 4 and then departed for Hindon late in the night.

Bhubaneswar, April 28 (IANS) Six people from Odisha have thanked god and the Indian government after reaching safely here from conflict-torn Sudan under Operation Kaveri.

Landing at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here on Friday, the returnees, natives of Khurda, Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jagatsinghpur districts, narrated their horrifying stories before the media.

They said that they lost all their food, cash and mobile phones as the paramilitary personnel had snatched all this at gunpoint. With the arrangements by the Indian Embassy, they were evacuated on a Indian Navy vessel to Saudi Arabia, and from there, flown back to India.

After reaching Delhi, with the help of the Odisha government, they reached Bhubaneswar, said Pabitra Mohan Pradhan, a returnee from Ganjam district.

Pradhan said he was staying in the conflict-torn Khartoum region which has been severely ravaged by bullets and bombs. "The attack began on April 15. We stayed there till April 24. Had we stayed there for one or two more days, we would have lost our lives," he said.

Amar Kumar Bal, another returnee said, "The paramilitary personnel have snatched all my savings and mobile phone, they destroyed our Indian canteen in our company. There were explosions all around in front of our company. We were so terrified that we couldn't sleep for nine days."

"I have been staying there since 2017. Earlier, there were also conflicts between the army and a paramilitary group. However, those were not as severe as the current one," he added.

Narrating his horrifying experience, another returnee, Basant Kumar Mishra said that he, along with his company employees, were looted at gunpoint.

"We were held at gunpoint for around nine hours. All our valuables were looted. Somehow, we could save our lives and contact the Indian Embassy in Sudan," Mishra said.

New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan under Operation Kaveri that has begun to evacuate nationals from the crisis-torn Sudan, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Monday.

"Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan. About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan. More on their way," Jaishankar tweeted.

"Our ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home. Committed to assist all our bretheren in Sudan," he said.

India has positioned two heavy-lift military transport aircraft in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and a naval ship at a key port in violence-hit Sudan as part of its contingency plans to evacuate its stranded nationals.

The development comes even as France and Saudi Arabia have evacuated some Indians along with citizens of other countries as part of their evacuation mission from Sudan.

Around 3,000 Indians are among the stranded foreign nationals, and a 48-year-old from Kerala, Albert Augustine, has been killed by a stray bullet.

Violent clashes that erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on April 15, continues unabated. According to Sudan's Health Ministry, the violence has left at least 424 people dead and about 3,730 wounded.

New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called for a contingency evacuation plan and other viable options for Indian citizens stuck in war-torn Sudan.

He said this while undertaking a high-level meeting to review the situation in the troubled African nation.

The meeting, which took place through video-conferencing, was attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Indian Ambassador to Sudan, and other senior officials.

PM Modi assessed the most recent developments in Sudan and received a first-hand report of the conditions on the ground, with specific focus on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens currently located throughout the country, sources aware of the developments said.

The Prime Minister expressed his condolences on the passing away of an Indian national who tragically fell victim to a stray bullet last week.

He instructed all concerned officials to remain vigilant, closely monitor developments and continuously evaluate the safety of Indian nationals in Sudan, while extending them all possible assistance.

PM Modi also underlined the significance of maintaining close communication with neighbouring countries in the region, as well as those with significant numbers of citizens in Sudan.

Jaishankar has already met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York to discuss the situation in Sudan, especially the condition of Indian citizens stuck there.

Jaishankar, who was on his way to a series of visits to Guyana, Panama, Columbia and the Dominican Republic on Thursday, made an unscheduled stopover in New York to meet Guterres.

Earlier, he had spoken to the foreign ministers of the UAE and Egypt to discuss the prevailing scenario in Sudan.

Fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitary forces has been going on since April 15, which has led to the death of around 300 people, including an Indian citizen.

Indian foreign ministry has advised Indian citizens in the capital city of Sudan, Khartoum, not to venture to the Indian embassy as it lies in a war zone.