Operation Sukoon was launched by India to evacuate its nationals and that of Sri Lanka and Nepal who were fleeing from the Israeli–Lebanese conflict. Sukoon means relief in Urdu [1]. It was the first part of a two part air-sea bridge, the sea bridge was performed by Operation Sukoon of the Indian Navy and the air-bridge by Air India.
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Four Indian Navy warships that were a part of Task Force 54, were returning to India from the Mediterranean [2] after a goodwill visit. They were ordered to turn back just before they were to negoiate the Suez Canal in order to assist in the evacuation. The ships where INS Mumbai, INS Brahmaputra, INS Betwa and the fleet tanker INS Shakthi. This has been touted as the largest post-Independence civilian-evacuation operation [3] by the Indian Navy. The warships were at battle stations, with guns and missiles fully warmed up. The fleet's seven helicopters took turns to fly ahead of the fleet to check on the situation.
The ships took the evacuees to Cyprus from where chartered Air India [4] flights formed the second part of the air-sea bridge to fly them back to India. [4] Altogether a total of 2,280 people including 1,764 Indians were evacuated. [5] Of the evacuees, 112 were Sri Lankans, 64 were Nepalis and seven were Lebanese with Indian spouses.
INS Mumbai collected 1,495 of the total evacuees, during three sorties on July 20, 23 and 26. The remaining evacuees were picked-up by the frigates INS Bhramaputra and INS Betwa (188 and 254 people respectively), during a sortie carried out on July 23. INS Shakti, being a tanker and unarmed, had not been deployed for the evacuation sorties, since it was more vulnerable and less manoeuvrable; but it was carrying enough fuel and supplies to maintain the other ships for at least a month. Altogether a total of 1,869 people including 1,686 Indians were evacuated [6].
The four ships, after being stationed in international waters off the Lebanon coast, were awaiting word of any more Indian citizens who wished to be evacuated. These vessels returned to Indian waters on 10 August, 2006 [5].
Over 10,000 Indians were still in Lebanon and many had approached the Indian embassy to get them home. The ministry said the Indian Navy and other agencies would continue the operation to evacuate all stranded nationals from the troubled region.
   | Air-India to fly Indians home from Lebanon - Air-India to fly Indians home from Lebanon - India - NEWS - The Times of India |
| | Indian Navy pulls out 700 Indians from Lebanon - Indian Navy pulls out 700 Indians from Lebanon |
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