121 people were rescued from Sudan in a daring mission by an Indian Air Force C-130J heavy-lift aircraft, which utilised night vision to land on a tiny airfield at Wadi Sayyidna, some 40 km north of the violent Khartoum.
The rescue effort was conducted during the night of April 27 and 28.
According to the Indian Air Force, the airport had a damaged surface, no fuel or navigational aids, and most importantly, no landing lights, which are necessary to assist an aircraft landing at night. So, to conduct the operation, the pilots wore night vision goggles (NVGs).
According to the authorities, the pilots utilised its electro-optical and infrared sensors to check that the runway was clear of any obstacles and that no hostile troops were there.
The aircrew used a tactical approach while using night vision goggles on an essentially black night after making sure of the same, an official informed news agency PTI.
“After landing, the aircraft's engines were kept running while eight IAF Garud Commandos boarded the plane and secured the passengers and their belongings. The takeoff from the dark runway was likewise accomplished utilising night vision goggles, he said.
The rescue effort was carried out to save passengers who had no other way of getting to the Port of Sudan.
Pregnant women and others without access to Port Sudan, a crucial transit point from which India is sending military planes and navy ships to rescue its residents, were among those who were saved, according to IAF officials.
The IAF officer said that the about 2.5-hour operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah “will go down in the annals of IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution — similar to that carried out in Kabul.”
After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Indian Air Force had conducted operations similar to this to evacuate Indians from Kabul.
India began “Operation Kaveri” earlier this week to return the Indians who had been lost in Sudan.
The army of Sudan and a paramilitary organisation have been engaged in warfare that has allegedly claimed 400 lives.
