New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) The operation for evacuating Indians stranded in Yemen intensified on Tuesday, with the navy also despatching two warships to Djibouti to escort the passenger liners in view of the threats from the pirates, officials said.
Giving details of the operation named “Raahat”, navy sources said two warships – destroyer INS Mumbai and stealth frigate INS Tarkash – which left Mumbai on Monday are enroute to Djibouti, a country located on the Horn of Africa on the Gulf of Aden.
The two warships and two passenger liners Kavaratti and Corals which left from Kochi on Monday, will join course in Arabian Sea and move as a composite group to Djibouti.
Meanwhile, patrol vessel INS Sumitra, which is near Gulf of Aden, has obtained clearance to enter the harbour, Navy sources said.
The ships despatched to Aden will to evacuate the stranded people to Djibouti, and from there they will be brought to India by air.
Navy vice chief, Vice Admiral P. Murugesan said several agencies – the navy, air force and Air India – are participating in the operations.
“The Indian naval ships will go and evacuate people as well as provide anti-piracy escort duties to the various assets deployed for the operation,” he added.
According to the external affairs ministry, nearly 4,000 Indians are stranded in Yemen.
