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Maintaining that most Indians have been evacuated from strife-torn Libya, the government on Tuesday said the pull-out operation will continue "till each and every one of our citizens, desirous of returning, is brought back safely".
"As of this evening, the number of Indians remaining to be evacuated from Tripoli would drop to about 1,700, including 400 expected to reach there by road today, from Sirte," a MEA release said.
"MV Red Star One, which was at Sirte, was expected to return on Thursday to Malta with 170 of our nationals, who would be flown home on special flights thereafter," it said adding, "With this, all Indians desirous of leaving Sirte would have been moved out."
MV Scotia Prince, with 972 people from Benghazi on board, was likely to reach Alexandria by late Tuesday evening and all passengers will be flown back to India on Wednesday. The vessel's arrival to Alexandria has been delayed by a day due to some engine trouble.
Meanwhile, an Air India flight AI-160 (Airbus 330), which was on its way to New Delhi from Tripoli with 261 passengers, had to make an unscheduled landing at Malta Airport on March 6. Air India had to send a relief aircraft from New Delhi on Monday, which brought everyone back to the capital, in the wee hours of Tuesday.
"Some 36 evacuation sorties have already been undertaken by special flights arranged by the ministry so far. The operation would continue, till each and every one of our citizens, desirous of returning, is brought back safely," the MEA said.