IAF heavy-lift aircraft — including an IL-76 and a C-130J — flew out from Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport to Thiruvananthapuram under Operation Sagar Bandhu. The first flight carried over 200 evacuees, while the second was expected to arrive around 11 pm, according to defence spokespeople. The evacuees were among many who had been stranded at the airport after severe flooding and landslides disrupted travel and essential services across the island nation.
This evacuation operation was part of a broader humanitarian response. The IAF previously had transported relief supplies and rescue personnel — including teams from the National Disaster Response Force — to Sri Lanka. The same aircraft used for delivering aid were repurposed for this evacuation mission. Helicopters and transport aircraft have carried out multiple sorties, airlifting stranded civilians and Sri Lankan Army personnel from remote, flood- and landslide-hit regions like Kotmale, where road access remains blocked.
Some of those rescued included foreign nationals and Sri Lankan citizens alongside Indians. As part of coordination efforts between India and Sri Lankan authorities, a helpline was established to aid any Indian national still stranded.
The crisis triggered by Cyclone Ditwah has imposed severe strain across Sri Lanka. The Disaster Management Centre reported hundreds of fatalities, large-scale displacement, and widespread damage to infrastructure including flooded homes and blocked roadways, cutting off many communities. With many areas inaccessible due to landslides and overflowing rivers, air rescues and humanitarian flights became vital for relief and evacuation.
Officials overseeing the mission described the operation as “critical” to ensure the safe return of Indian citizens who endured prolonged uncertainty at the airport. They noted that along with evacuation, flights carried disaster relief materials and medical teams to support ongoing rescue and rehabilitation efforts across Sri Lanka.