New Delhi: Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said the process of evacuating Indian citizens from conflict-hit Sudan has commenced.

He said  500 Indians have already reached Port Sudan and are expected to be evacuated from the country as a part of the 'Operation Kaveri'.

"Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan," Jaishankar tweeted.

"About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan. More on their way," he said. "Our ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home. Committed to assist all our bretheren in Sudan," he said.

The minister made the announcement at a time when fighting between the Sudanese Army and paramilitary groups has intensified in the capital Khartoum.  
The UN Secretary-General on Monday welcomed the temporary relocation of hundreds of staff members and their families from the Sudanese capital Khartoum, amid the continuing intense fighting between rival military factions which has now entered its second week.

Speaking in the UN Security Council, António Guterres said: “Let me be clear: the United Nations is not leaving Sudan. Our commitment is to the Sudanese people, in support of their wishes for a peaceful and secure future. We stand with them, at this terrible time.”

In blunt terms, he said the violence must stop, now. "It risks a catastrophic conflagration within Sudan, that could engulf the whole region and beyond."