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EVACUATION OF INDIAN NATIONALS FROM ADEN BY THE INDIAN NAVY

New Delhi, April 1, 2015: Consequent upon the Government of India issuing an advisory for Indian nationals to leave Yemen, the Indian Navy has deployed three ships in support of the evacuation operation. In a well coordinated operation involving multiple agencies, INS Sumitra, an Offshore Patrol Vessel, which has been deployed for anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden since 11 Mar 15 was the first to undertake evacuation from Yemen. The ship was re-deployed off the Port of Aden on 30 Mar 15 and, thereafter, entered Aden Harbour in the evening of 31 Mar 15. The ship evacuated 349 Indians from Aden and is currently on passage to Djibouti. On disembarkation of these personnel at Djibouti, the ship is scheduled to return to Aden to undertake further evacuation, if required.

IN Ships Mumbai and Tarkash also sailed from Mumbai on 30 Mar 15. The ships will escort two passenger vessels, Kavaratti and Corals, through the piracy risk area off the Coast of Somalia. These passenger vessels had sailed from Kochi on 30 Mar 15, to Djibouti. The two warships will, thereafter, be available for evacuation of Indian nationals from Yemeni ports, as required.

Coincidentally, the Indian Navy had undertaken a large scale HADR Exercise very recently in Feb 2015. The alacrity and flexibility of the current operation once again underscores the Navy’s capability in terms of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).

PTI adds:

Evacuation took place after India got permission to dock its offshore patrol vessel INS Sumitra at the Aden harbour as the government launched a massive air and sea operation, christened ’Operation Raahat’, to bring back its over 4,000 nationals in Yemen.

INS Sumitra, which has been deployed for anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden since March 11, was the first to undertake evacuation from Yemen. The ship was re-deployed off the Port of Aden on March 30 and thereafter entered Aden Harbour last evening.

It waited for hours to get local clearances as heavy fighting was reported in the city. While the ship has self-defence weapons, it cannot protect itself against multiple hand-held weapons or shoulder fired missiles.

“The ship evacuated 349 Indians from Aden. On disembarkation of these personnel at Djibouti, the ship is scheduled to return to Aden to undertake further evacuation, if required,” a statement by the Navy said.

Indian Navy ships Mumbai and Tarkash also sailed from Mumbai on March 30 as part of Operation Raahat.

The ships will escort two passenger vessels, Kavaratti and Corals, through the piracy risk area off the Coast of Somalia. These passenger vessels had sailed from Kochi on March 30 to Djibouti.

Saudi-led coalition warplanes pounded Yemen’s Shia rebels for a sixth day on Tuesday, destroying missiles and weapons depots and for the first time using warships to bomb the rebel-held airport and eastern outskirts of the port city of Aden.