All 12 boys and their football coach, who were stuck in a flooded cave in Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Rai, were rescued on Tuesday, AFP reported quoting the Thai Navy SEAL. The 13 people were rescued on Tuesday after an 18-day ordeal.

Four people – a doctor and three Navy SEALS – who entered the cave complex during the rescue mission are still inside.

The Wild Boars soccer team and their coach got trapped on June 23 when they set out to explore the cave complex after practice. Heavy rainfall suddenly flooded the tunnels.

Tuesday was the third day of the international operation to save the boys and their coach. The operation began at 10.08 am (8.30 am IST). The authorities said the final rescue mission was not much affected by heavy rain. But earlier in the day, the head of the operation, Narongsak Osottanakorn, had said that the final operation would be “more challenging”, reported Reuters.

The eight boys brought out on Sunday and Monday are in a stable condition. They will probably be kept in hospital for a week. The rescued boys are being kept in isolation to avoid the risk of infection.