ID :
166896
Wed, 03/09/2011 - 19:58
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/166896
The shortlink copeid
All Indians from Libya to be back home by Thursday
New Delhi (PTI) India on Wednesday said it looks
forward to complete the mammoth operation of evacuating about
18,000 of its nationals from strife-torn Libya by Thursday.
Deploying aircraft and ships, India has already brought
back about 14,000 Indian nationals from Libya as pro-Muammar
Gaddafi forces fought pitched battles with anti-government
rebels to gain control of key cities in the oil-rich nation.
"As scheduled, some 14,000 Indians have been evacuated
from Libya, including about 1000 passengers who were flown
back last evening and Wednesday morning, from Tripoli, on
three Air India special flights," a Ministry of External
Affairs statement said.
The Ministry is confident that by Thursday almost all
Indian nationals desirous of leaving Libya will be back home,
it said.
As many as 2,400 persons are expected to reach India by
Thursday by eight special flights from Tripoli and Sebha in
Libya and Alexandria in Egypt, the statement said.
Four Air India planes have left for Libya to ferry back
nearly 1,000 people from Tripoli and 400 from Sebha on
Wednesday.
The last batch of some 550 persons in Tripoli and 450 in
Sebha will be evacuated on Thursday.
Indian nationals from Sirte, Misrata, Benghazi and
Kufrah have already been pulled out.
With 972 passengers on board, MV Scotia Prince had
arrived in Alexandria on Tuesday evening. 181 Indian nationals
were brought back to Delhi from Alexandria by an IL-76 IAF
aircraft on Wednesday evening.
The remaining passengers were being ferried to Mumbai
by three additional special Egypt Air flights on Wednesday
evening and early Thursday morning, the Ministry said.
MV Red Star One returned to Malta on Wednesday morning,
with 150 Indian and other nationals. A special Jet Airways
plane is bringing them to India later on Wednesday night, it
said.
"Naval vessels INS Jalashwa and INS Mysore are already in
the Mediterranean, just off the Libyan coast. The two ships
have adequate carrying capacity but may not be pressed into
service, given the successful air-bridge put in place between
Libya and India since February 26."
Meanwhile, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar
Ravi said the government was making concerted efforts to
evacuate all the Indians caught in the strife-torn country.
He said following incidents of violence, the emigration
clearance for Indian workers for employment in Libya has been
temporarily stopped with effect from February 21.
"Government is making concerted efforts to evacuate the
Indian citizens caught in the strife-torn country by arranging
special flights, and also ships and facilitating road movement
to countries neighbouring Libya," he told Lok Sabha while
replying to a question.
He said staff at Indian Missions in Tunisia, Libya and
Egypt have been engaged in the evacuation exercise.
forward to complete the mammoth operation of evacuating about
18,000 of its nationals from strife-torn Libya by Thursday.
Deploying aircraft and ships, India has already brought
back about 14,000 Indian nationals from Libya as pro-Muammar
Gaddafi forces fought pitched battles with anti-government
rebels to gain control of key cities in the oil-rich nation.
"As scheduled, some 14,000 Indians have been evacuated
from Libya, including about 1000 passengers who were flown
back last evening and Wednesday morning, from Tripoli, on
three Air India special flights," a Ministry of External
Affairs statement said.
The Ministry is confident that by Thursday almost all
Indian nationals desirous of leaving Libya will be back home,
it said.
As many as 2,400 persons are expected to reach India by
Thursday by eight special flights from Tripoli and Sebha in
Libya and Alexandria in Egypt, the statement said.
Four Air India planes have left for Libya to ferry back
nearly 1,000 people from Tripoli and 400 from Sebha on
Wednesday.
The last batch of some 550 persons in Tripoli and 450 in
Sebha will be evacuated on Thursday.
Indian nationals from Sirte, Misrata, Benghazi and
Kufrah have already been pulled out.
With 972 passengers on board, MV Scotia Prince had
arrived in Alexandria on Tuesday evening. 181 Indian nationals
were brought back to Delhi from Alexandria by an IL-76 IAF
aircraft on Wednesday evening.
The remaining passengers were being ferried to Mumbai
by three additional special Egypt Air flights on Wednesday
evening and early Thursday morning, the Ministry said.
MV Red Star One returned to Malta on Wednesday morning,
with 150 Indian and other nationals. A special Jet Airways
plane is bringing them to India later on Wednesday night, it
said.
"Naval vessels INS Jalashwa and INS Mysore are already in
the Mediterranean, just off the Libyan coast. The two ships
have adequate carrying capacity but may not be pressed into
service, given the successful air-bridge put in place between
Libya and India since February 26."
Meanwhile, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar
Ravi said the government was making concerted efforts to
evacuate all the Indians caught in the strife-torn country.
He said following incidents of violence, the emigration
clearance for Indian workers for employment in Libya has been
temporarily stopped with effect from February 21.
"Government is making concerted efforts to evacuate the
Indian citizens caught in the strife-torn country by arranging
special flights, and also ships and facilitating road movement
to countries neighbouring Libya," he told Lok Sabha while
replying to a question.
He said staff at Indian Missions in Tunisia, Libya and
Egypt have been engaged in the evacuation exercise.
