Yemen: 349 evacuees onboard INS Sumitra; Jaitley terms rescue operation as country's biggest achievement

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday termed India's exercise to rescue stranded people from war-ravaged Yemen as country's "one of the biggest achievements so far". "Whatever has happened in Yemen, I think it is India's one of the biggest achievements so far. Besides Indians, we have rescued people of 32 other nations," Jaitley said while addressing the two-day Madhya Pradesh BJP's state executive meeting.

He said India's rescue operation in Yemen has been "creditable". "Earlier, we used to think how Israel managed to save its people, but what India has done is creditable," he said.

Jaitley, who is also the Information and Broadcasting Minister, urged the media to take up the matter with more seriousness and analyse it deeply. India has so far rescued over 4,500 people from Yemen in the rescue operation.

The strife-torn country has been witnessing fierce battle between Saudi-led coalition and Shiite rebels, who have battled their way into various cities of Yemen including in the former stronghold of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi who has fled overseas. 

The principal spokesperson of Ministry of Defence, Sitanshu Kar, tweeted the number of evacuees on INS Sumitra on Thursday:

#YemenEvacuation INS Sumitra has left Al Hodeidah port for Djibouti with 349 evacuees on board (Male-291, Female-45, Children-13)

— Sitanshu Kar (@SpokespersonMoD) April 9, 2015

Related Read: India extends air evacuation from Yemen till today