New Delhi: In a swift action and international cooperation, India successfully launched “Operation Sindhu,” a large-scale evacuation effort to bring home its citizens stranded amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The first phase of the operation concluded late Friday night with the safe arrival in Delhi of a special evacuation flight from Iran carrying 290 Indian students, primarily from Jammu and Kashmir. Two more chartered flights are scheduled to arrive on Saturday, one originating from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, bringing the total number of evacuees in the initial stages of the operation to around 600.
Despite the closure of Iranian airspace due to the ongoing conflict, Iranian authorities made a significant gesture of goodwill by granting limited access to facilitate the safe passage of Indian nationals.
Mohammad Javad Hosseini, deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy in Delhi, confirmed Iran’s cooperation and suggested that further flights may be organised in the days to come. “Iran’s airspace is currently closed, but we’re facilitating limited access for the safe evacuation of Indian nationals,” he said.
The arrival of the evacuees at Delhi Airport was met with joyous scenes of relief, as chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Hindustan Zindabad” filled the air. Students recounted harrowing tales of uncertainty and fear, expressing deep gratitude to the Indian government for their swift and effective intervention.
Many shared stories of sudden evacuations, relocation to safer cities like Qom and Mashhad, and the difficulties encountered during the crisis. The evacuees consistently praised the role of the Indian embassy in facilitating their safe passage and repatriation. “The situation in Iran was quite devastating. At first, we didn’t expect that it would escalate so much. All Kashmiris are really thankful to the Indian government,” Sehrish Rafique, an MBBS student at Iran University of Medical Sciences, told news agency ANI.
Several expressed specific gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership in facilitating their return.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that approximately 190 of the evacuees on the first flight were from Jammu and Kashmir. Arun Kumar Chatterjee, secretary (consular, passport, and visa), MEA, highlighted the significance of Iran’s cooperation. “It reflects the strong ties between India and Iran,” he said.
While the MEA has not yet issued a formal evacuation advisory, it urged Indian citizens in both Iran and Israel to remain cautious and limit their movement.
With approximately 10,000 Indian citizens, mainly students, residing in Iran at the time the conflict escalated, the operation is likely to continue for some time. Indian authorities have not issued a formal evacuation advisory but have urged citizens in both Iran and Israel to remain vigilant and restrict movement. “We are arranging for the safe passage of Indians who want to leave via air or via road through third countries, or directly from Iran,” Hosseini said.
