India launches `Operation Sukoon' to evacuate Indians from Lebanon
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, July 20, IRNA
India-Lebanon-Evaucation
Four Indian naval ships, as part of Operation Sukoon, have reached Beirut, where 1,000 Indian nationals are ready to be evacuated from the Lebanese war zone, amid reports three Indians have been killed.
"The first batch of 1000 Indians living in Lebanon will be taken to Cyprus where they will be given protection," Doordarshan News said here quoting the Indian Navy's spokesman.
He said the four ships, positioned off the Lebanese Coast in the Mediterrarean, will take about eight hours to reach Cyprus' harbor.
As the ships can evacuate only 1000 people at a time, it will take about a week for all the 12,000 Indian nationals to be evacuated from Lebanon under the operation, he added.
The Indian government has sent an advisory to all Indians in Lebanon to keep their documents and papers ready.
Already 49 Indians along with family members of Indian embassy staff in Beirut have been evacuated to neighboring Syria in two buses in an operation organized by the embassy.
In Damascus, the Indian embassy is looking after them.
India is also in touch with Israel to see what assistance they can provide.
The government has, however, not decided on pulling out the 672 Indian troops who are part of the United Nations International Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
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