New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) The last three flights are on way to Libya to bring back the remaining Indians from there, ending the fortnight-long operation of evacuating nearly 18,000 Indians from the strife-torn north African country, the Indian external affairs ministry said Thursday.

"As Operation Safe Homecoming rapidly draws towards a close tonight (Thursday), some 15,400 of our nationals are already home from Libya, including 2,400 who have returned over Wednesday evening and Thursday morning," the external affairs ministry said here.

These flights are expected back late Thursday night and in the early hours of Friday morning.

The operation was the largest ever such exercise mounted by this country after the August 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait that forced thousands of Indians in the country to flee to Amman, the capital of Jordan, from where they were flown home.

Operation Safe Homecoming included nine special flights, from Libya (Tripoli and Sebha), Egypt (Alexandria) and Malta. Forty-seven air charter sorties have been undertaken since the commencement of the evacuation exercise Feb 26.

The last 262 of Indian nationals in Alexandria (Egypt), who had arrived by Scotia Prince from Benghazi March 8, left by air for Mumbai at 5 a.m. Thursday, the ministry said.

In all 2,858 people from Libya were transported safely through Egypt - 2,161 from Benghazi (by sea to Alexandria), 527 via the Salloum land border and the remaining 170 from Djerba (Tunisia) by air through Cairo, the ministry said.

"The Egyptian authorities have been most supportive, even allowing Indians to enter the country without visas. Egypt Air charter flights joined in the evacuation exercise," the ministry said.

In the last leg of this operation, special Air India flights are heading for Tripoli (one) and Sebha (two) to ferry back the remaining Indian professionals and workers desirous of leaving Libya.

INS Jalashwa is docked in Tripoli harbour Thursday afternoon and is helping in the evacuation of any remaining Indian nationals.