More than 300 Indians stuck in flood and landslide-hit Sri Lanka were evacuated by Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft. They landed in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday night. The IAF used IL-76 and C-130J heavy-lift planes from Colombo to bring over 200 Indians by 7:30 p.m. Another C-130J arrived late with 135 more people. Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, IAF's Southern Air Command deployed Mi-17 V5 helicopters and Garud special force teams to Colombo. Working closely with Sri Lankan authorities, these helicopters rescued stranded and injured civilians in flooded and landslide areas. They also dropped Sri Lankan Army personnel to troubled zones. In multiple missions, IAF helicopters airlifted 57 Sri Lankan Army soldiers from Diyathalawa Army Camp and Colombo to Kotmale, a landslide-hit and isolated area in central Sri Lanka. A hybrid mission included Garud Commandos landing near stranded civilians, guiding them to safe spots for helicopter pick up. “A total of 55 civilians, which included Indians, foreign nationals and Sri Lankan survivors were successfully evacuated to Colombo. The survivors included six casualties/patients and four infants,” a statement said. The IAF confirmed its ongoing commitment to relief efforts. A defence spokesperson said, “The IAF continues to extend critical Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support to the people of Sri Lanka as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, following the severe humanitarian impact caused by recent natural calamities in the region.”