March 5, 2011 2:04 PM

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2,000 more to come home from Libya

Another 2,000 Indians will be evacuated from strife-torn Libya today. Talking to reporters in Banglore, External Affairls Minister S M Krishna said more than 1,000 people reached Delhi this morning. Another batch of over 1,000 Indians was airlifted from Libya in three chartered flights of Egypt Air and one special flight of Air India on Friday.Airport officials said while Air India flight with 255 passengers landed at IGI airport in New Delhi, 804 evacuees reached Mumbai by three chartered flights of Egypt Air.Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, the minister of state for external affairs Praneet Kaur said all Indians stranded in Libya who want to leave will be evacuated by Thursday. Responding to the concern of members on the issue, about 10,000 out of 16,000 Indian nationals have been evacuated till Friday. Concern was also voiced in the Lok Sabha over possible threat to lives of Indians and the slow process of evacuation. Giving an update of the situation, Kaur said two Indians have died so far in accidents in Libya.Kaur said an IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft has been positioned in Cairo to undertake possible operations from Libya and a second aircraft is also being kept in readiness. Two Navy warships – INS Jalashwa and INS Mysore – are also expected to be there by Tuesday to assist in evacuation of any Indian who might still be in the coastal towns of Libya. Besides, a passenger ship Scotia Prince will reach Benghazi in Libya today after dropping the first batch of 1,188 Indian nationals to Alexandria in Egypt. She said there is no cut-off date for completion of evacuation.To a query, she said the Government was not charging any fare from them. She informed the house that External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has already talked to his Libyan counterpart and has been assured of all possible assistance for the purpose.On the issue of protecting properties of Indians in Libya, Kaur said it was the duty of the host country and India will take up the matter with the government which comes to power there.In the Lok Sabha, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs and Civil Aviation Vayalar Ravi said, the Government had pressed into service six aircraft besides ships to bring back the Indians and facilitate free onward journey of the evacuees to their final destinations in this country. More flights would be operated if necessary. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said the railways will ferry the evacuees free of cost from airports to their final destination.Meanwhile, clashes between pro-Gaddafi forces and rebels continue in eastern Libya. The Gaddafi regime is trying hard to reclaim lost territory and to quell fresh protests in Tripoli. Reports say at least 49 people were killed in the fighting and explosions in a military arms depot. Western media reports said, at least 30 civilians were killed after security forces attempted to retake Az Zawiyah. In another development, two explosions at a military arms depot outside the rebel-held city of Benghazi, left at least 19 people dead and dozens injured. The Interpol has issued an Orange Notice against Gaddafi and 15 other Libyans.

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