PM Modi hails South Sudan evacuation operation

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hailed the efforts of the External Affairs Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the IAF, the Air India and the Railways for undertaking evacuation of Indians from war-torn South Sudan under the 'Operation Sankat Mochan'.

Modi spoke to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as well as Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh (retd), who went to South Sudan to lead the operation, to congratulate them.

"The Prime Minister has welcomed all our Indian sisters & brothers who have returned from South Sudan," the PMO said.

"PM spoke to EAM @SushmaSwaraj ji & MoS @Gen_VKSingh ji & congratulated them for their efforts in rescuing Indians," it added in a tweet.

"PM congratulated RM @manoharparrikar, IAF, the Railways, @airindiain for their role in Operation #SankatMochan," the PMO said.

More than 146 Indians stranded in South Sudan's capital Juba were evacuated yesterday.

"Operation #SankatMochan Safely out of the danger zone. The first flight makes a technical halt at Entebbe, Uganda," V K Singh had tweeted last night.