India will start operating evacuation flights from Israel from tomorrow
Indian students sitting in first evacuation flight from Iran (File Image)
NEW DELHI: India's Operation Sindhu launched earlier this week to evacuate Indians stranded in Iran picked up steam with two more special flights expected to land in Delhi on the intervening night of June 20 and 21.
As a "special gesture", Tehran agreed to lift airspace restrictions to facilitate the exercise.
India has chartered Iranian carrier Mahan Air flights for the evacuation. While the first flight from Mashhad in Iran landed late Friday, another one was from Ashgabat in Turkmenistan was expected later. An IndiGo flight was also en route from Ashgabat. Iranian authorities said around 1,000 students will return to India in the next few days. tnn
As for Indian nationals wishing to leave Israel, official sources said India will start operating evacuation flights for them from Amman on Sunday.
They will be taken to Jordan by road on Sunday as border points are shut on Saturdays. Deputy chief of mission Mohammad Javad Hosseini said more evacuation flights could be operated in the coming days to bring back Indians, if required. The official also urged India to condemn Israel's actions saying this was a case of aggression against a country and must be condemned in line with international law.
"We consider Indians as our own people.
Iran's airspace is closed but because of this issue, we are making arrangements to open it for the safe passage of Indian nationals," Hosseini said at a media briefing. "Around 1,000 Indians who were relocated from Tehran to Qom and then to Mashhad will be evacuated to New Delhi on three charter flights." Hosseini said Tehran is in close contact with the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the Indian embassy in Tehran to ensure safe evacuation of Indian nationals.
"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," he said. The Iranian diplomat said Indians in Iran are safe, but added that a few Indian students sustained injuries after an Israeli air strike hit a dormitory in Tehran.
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