INS Jalashwa to bring back some 700 Indians from Maldives today

Indian Navy ship INS Jalashwa will sail from Male Port on Friday with approximately 700 Indians nationals, who have been stranded owing to Covid-related travel restrictions, under the second phase of Operation ''Samudra Setu'' as a part of the "Vande Bharat" mission.

INS Jalashwa arrived at anchorage last night alongside berth in Port of Male, Maldives.

On June 1, the vessel repatriated approximately 700 Indians from Colombo in Sri Lanka to Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. This is the third trip to the Maldives by INS Jalashwa.

The rescue mission is a part of Operation 'Samudra Setu' under the Vande Bharat Mission, which has so far facilitated the evacuation of 1,286 people from Male twice on May 8 and May 16.

Under the second phase of the naval repatriation mission, INS Jalashwa with the base at Visakhapatnam would voyage for evacuation in Bandar Abbas (Iran) after Male.

( With inputs from ANI )