The first Air India flight sent to evacuate Indians from strife-torn Libya has taken off from Tripoli for New Delhi. Air India has sent two planes to Tripoli and both flights are expected to land in New Delhi with the first batch of 700 stranded Indian citizens later on Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Meanwhile, three naval warships have also set sail for Malta on Saturday. INS Jalashwa, INS Mysore left from Mumbai while INS Aditya set sail from Karwar. The Naval ships will transport more than 1,000 Indians back and also provide security during evacuation operations.
INS Jalashwa is a landing platform dock type of amphibious platform and is particularly designed for sea lift missions. The ship is also capable of undertaking humanitarian missions. INS Mysore, is a potent destroyer of the Delhi class.
The ships have been specially equipped for the task with full medical facilities such as operation theatre, doctors and paramedics. The ships are also carrying helicopters and a contingent of marine Special Forces personnel.
The ships will evacuate Indian nationals from Libya to either Malta or Egypt, from where they will be transferred by air to India.
A passenger ship will sail for Libya's second largest city Benghazi on Sunday. The ship is expected to return with Indian evacuees to Alexandria in Egypt on Sunday.
Two more ships are also being pressed into service and one military aircraft is also being sent to Egypt for bringing back a group of 90 Indians who crossed over by road from Libya.
There are a total of 18,000 Indians stuck in Libya.
Meanwhile, another Indian casualty has been reported in the country. Ashok Kumar passed away in Tobruk city. He was among the five Indians hurt in a road accident while fleeing the country.
Worried families are now regretting the departure of their relatives to work in the violence-stricken and politically volatile region. They have been constantly appealing to the Government for their immediate evacuation.
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