Major evacuation operations conducted in Indian history

From Ukraine to Kuwait, here's a look at times when the Indian government took swift action and safely secured its nationals by evacuating them from conflict zones in times of emergency.

Operation Ganga: In a mission to evacuate stranded Indians from war-torn Ukraine, the Indian government kicked off Operation Ganga in February 2022. So far, over 1100 stranded Indian nationals have been safely brought to India under this operation. India has set up round-the-clock

Operation Devi Shakti: An evacuation operation by the Indian Armed Forces (IAF) was kicked off in August 2021 to safely bring back Indian nationals from Afghanistan after the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the fall of Kabul, the capital city of the Taliban. Credit: AFP Photo

Vande Bharat Mission: Special flights were operated across to globe in this mission to bring back the nationals who were left stranded in foreign countries due to the coronavirus pandemic. Credit: Twitter/ @HardeepSPuri

Wuhan Airlift: In one of the most difficult evacuation flights, India airlifted its citizens safe from China’s coronavirus-hit city Wuhan in January 2020. Credit: ITBP

Operation Maitri: The government of India carried out this mission to safely bring the nationals from Nepal after the deadly earthquake in 2015. Credit: Twitter/@IAF_MCC

Operation Raahat: Hundreds of Indians and other nationals were rescued under this operation during the unrest at Yemen's capital Sana’a after the complete takeover by Houthi rebel fighters in January 2015. Credit: Twitter/@RajeevShahare

Following political turmoil in Egypt in March 2011, the Indian government-operated special flights to evacuate over ten thousand citizens stranded in Cairo. Credit: Twitter/@HardeepSPuri

Operation Amnesty Airlift: The mission was carried out in September 1996 to bring back the Indian nationals who did not have valid permits from the United Arab Emirates. Credit: PTI Photo

Kuwait Airlift: In one of the massive operations in Indian history, the Indian Air Force joined hands with Air India in airlifting stranded Indian nationals in Kuwait in August 1990. Nearly 170, 000 citizens were safely airlifted in this operation which was carried out just before the Persian Gulf war in 1990. Credit: Air India