Sunday, January 2 2005 19:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India has launched "Operation Ghambir" to augment relief and rescue efforts in the worst affected Indonesia, a senior Defence official said.

"Two ships sailed to Indonesia from our coast yesterday (Jan 1, 2005) and will reach there on January 4," Admiral Raman Puri, who is heading the Unified Defence relief Operations, told reporters in New Delhi.

He said one of the two ships had been converted into a makeshift hospital, which would provide medical assistance to people in that country.

Admiral Puri said the quantum of assistance depended upon the requirement conveyed to the joint control room of Ministries of Defence and Home.

This is the third overseas relief operation launched by India following the December 26 tsunami disaster, which has left thousands of dead in entire South and South East Asia.

Giving details of other overseas relief operations, Admiral Puri said "Operation Rainbow" was going on in Sri Lanka where India had despatched five MI-8 and one MI-17 helicopters.

Besides this, AN-32 and Avro aircraft of the Indian Air Force had done a number of sorties to the Island nation carrying relief material, he said.

"Operation Castor" was going on in the Maldives where India had despatched two Avros besides conducting several sorties, Admiral Puri said.