NEW DELHI: India has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate its nationals from Iran amid the intensifying military conflict between Iran and Israel.
The first evacuation flight carrying Indian citizens is expected to land in New Delhi from Yerevan, Armenia, around 2 am on Thursday, officials said.
The External Affairs Ministry said Indian students in Tehran had been relocated for safety, with arrangements facilitated 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 said in a statement.
A total of 110 Indian students, mostly from northern Iran, boarded a special flight from Yerevan at 14:55 hrs on June 18. The flight is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi early on June 19 as part of the first phase of Operation Sindhu.
The evacuation comes amid a worsening security situation in Tehran, which has come under heavy Israeli aerial bombardment targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.
The Indian Embassy in Tehran has been actively monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities and universities.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Embassy in Delhi confirmed that five Indian students were injured during a strike on a medical students’ dormitory on Keshavarz Street in Tehran on Sunday.
"This incident pertains to Sunday, and these students were evacuated by the University itself, along with other international students. Indian mission was in the loop regarding this evacuation. No serious injury happened to the students," said a source.