Flight carrying 110 Indian citizens evacuated from Iran arrives in Delhi
The first flight carrying 110 Indian citizens, including 90 students from Jammu and Kashmir, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday after being successfully evacuated from Iran amid the escalating military conflict in the Middle East.
All the evacuees were flown to the capital aboard IndiGo flight 6E 9487.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, welcomed the evacuated students at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The evacuation was part of Operation Sindhu, a mission launched by the Indian government to ensure the safety of its citizens in Iran.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday evening that Indian students residing in Tehran had been safely moved out of the city through arrangements coordinated by the Indian Embassy.
“Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city for safety reasons through arrangements made by the Indian Embassy,” the Ministry stated in an official release.
The students departed from Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, Armenia, on a special flight at 14:55 IST on June 18, with their arrival in New Delhi expected in the early hours of June 19.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced the launch of the operation on X, saying, “Operation Sindhu begins. India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on June 17.”
This is one of several steps taken by the Indian government over the past few days to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals stranded in Iran, following appeals for assistance due to the worsening situation in the Middle East.
The Indian government also expressed gratitude to the governments of Iran and Armenia for their cooperation in facilitating the evacuation process.
“India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad,” the MEA said in a statement. “As part of the ongoing operation, the Indian Embassy in Iran has been assisting large numbers of Indian nationals in relocating from areas witnessing increased hostilities to relatively safer regions within the country, and subsequently evacuating them through available and feasible options.”
