Latest news with #OperationSindhu
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Operation Sindhu: Fear, flight, and an uncertain future
In New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, Suhail Qadri, 57, paces nervously in front of an 'arrivals' gate as he waits for his two children — Imroz Qadri, 20, and Raiban Qadri, 23 — to land from conflict-torn Iran. When he finally sees them, quietly exiting from another gate to avoid the glare of cameras, his face lights up with relief. The brother and sister drop their luggage and run into his arms in a dimly lit corner. Imroz and Raiban are students of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in the capital of Iran. Suhail, a resident of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), says he had lost touch with them from the fifth day of the conflict that broke out between Israel and Iran on June 13. 'For the last two days, I have been glued to my phone, waiting for an international number to pop up on my screen. I was hoping that the caller would either be my children or an embassy official telling me where they are,' he says. In J&K, every fifth house has a child pursuing an MMBS degree in Iran, explains Suhail. When news first broke about heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, Suhail and some of his neighbours quickly reached out to their children. The students were not perturbed at first. They became alarmed only when they began to spot missiles. 'Imroz called to say Israeli bombs had hit Tehran on June 13,' he says. 'They saw many missiles and got messages on WhatsApp that two Kashmiri students were hurt.' On June 13, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) instructed people in Tehran's District 18, which includes military buildings and residential neighbourhoods, to evacuate. When the IDF launched the attack on Iran's capital, several residential buildings and university complexes were impacted. Following this, the Indian Embassy in Iran posted on X that Indian students had been moved out of Tehran. The Embassy requested other residents with access to transportation to leave the capital too. On June 18, the Indian government launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals first from Iran and then from Israel as well. Imroz and Raiban were two of the 160 people evacuated and flown directly to India on June 20. So far, under the mission, India has evacuated more than 1,400 Indian nationals from Iran and more than 1,100 from Israel. Missiles in Iran When the attack began, Imroz recalls sitting inside the women's dormitory room with her friends. 'We were having a sleepover when we heard a thud. We thought crackers were being burst. But when the noise continued, we realised that there was an attack,'she says. Also read: 'There were sounds of sirens and distant explosions every day' Minutes later, Imroz and her friends, who had been following the news on the tense situation in West Asia, realised that the street in front of their dormitory had been bombed by the Israelis. Panic stricken, they rushed to the basement and huddled around the guards trying to understand what they should be doing next. Hania, 23, a fourth year MBBS student at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, saw the Israeli air strikes hit the university complex. 'The bomb dropped on the men's dormitory and the glass windows broke. Shards of glass injured at least two Indian students in the dorm,' she says over a call from Qom, about 160 kilometres away from Tehran, while waiting to be evacuated. Hania says the Indian Embassy contacted Indian students in Tehran and asked them to relocate to Qom, a relatively safer city. Many students chose to move out in buses provided by colleges. Some, like Hania, booked private cabs. 'There was no time to pack properly, so I left with my documents, some clothes, food, and some cash lying around,' says Hania, who is also from J&K. Tamheed Mughal, a third year student at the same university, says he has lived in a conflict zone (J&K). 'But when I found myself in another country hearing the incessant sound of bombing, I began palpitating. My anxiety got worse when the U.S. entered the war,' he says. Some of his peers have heard that the university will be holding a meeting on June 30. This, he thinks, may help him decide his future course. Tamheed is keen to go back and complete his degree. Iran's Health Ministry claims that 224 people have been killed so far in the conflict. Accustomed to conflict Indian nationals enrolled as students in Israeli universities say they had become accustomed to the stress of being at the centre of a conflict zone even before the latest round of attacks began between Iran and Israel. Sreyashi Bhowmick, 31, a postdoctoral student enrolled with the Tel Aviv University, says, 'Whenever Israel senses an attack coming its way, the civil defence force warns us of a possible attack from another country. The sirens then go off and we are expected to rush to the nearest bunkers or bomb shelters.' Sreyashi had earlier been evacuated in October 2023, under India's Operation Ajay, launched in response to the conflict between Israel and Gaza. She went back in February 2024, to continue work at the Geological Survey of Israel. 'It is exhausting to be on alert always,' says Sreyashi. 'It is bound to take a toll on your mental health, especially when you are living on your own, but the government here is very organised regarding wartime protocol,' she adds. Also read: Operation Sindhu: Special flights bring more Indians home from Iran and Israel On the evening of Israel's attack, when Iran hit back, Sreyashi was alone in her apartment. 'It was the middle of the night when messages started coming in, asking us to move to bunkers and bomb shelters. But to do that, I had to step out alone and walk to my landlady's house, since my apartment does not have any bunkers. So I decided to stay put,' says the student, who hails from Kolkata in West Bengal. Sreyashi, who is still in Israel, says, 'If something drastic happens, the Indian Embassy will arrange for our evacuation.' Another postdoctoral student from Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, about 20 km from Tel Aviv, says panic had not set in until missiles hit his university. 'Everyone living here told me that they had seen missiles being constantly launched and intercepted. Only when my university was hit did I realise that I was living in a conflict zone,' he says. He has been living in Rehovot for more than a year. About his decision to study in Israel, which is already at war with Gaza, he says, 'I was aware that Israel was at the centre of a geopolitical conflict, but since it is so invested in scientific research, it seemed like a good choice.' He reached Delhi after U.S. President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire on June 23 between the warring nations and is now home in Kolkata. Living with worry During the early hours of June 19, a flight with 110 students from Iran's Urmia University landed in New Delhi. Like many others, Nargis, 22, a resident of Mumbai, Maharashtra, was in the midst of her semester exams when she was given a few hours' notice to leave. With just a cabin-sized bag, she travelled from Urmia to Qom and then to Yerevan in Armenia and then to Doha before finally reaching home. After spending 52 hours in transit, Nargis is elated to be in India, but she is also worried. Wiping beads of sweat off her forehead, the second year MBBS students says with a faint smile that she is hoping for stability in Iran soon. 'I took a loan to pursue an MBBS degree there,' she says. 'Many of us chose to pursue an MBBS degree in Iran because the tuition fees is far lower than in private medical colleges in India. A mediocre private medical college in India costs a minimum of ₹1 crore. In Iran, we can complete the same degree by paying ₹30 lakh without compromising on the rigour of education.' Editorial | Strategic misfire: On the Israel-Iran conflict Sitting inside an apartment in a colony in Sultanpuri, Delhi, Aman, 21, a first-generation medical student in his family, is anxious. 'Going by conversations on WhatsApp groups, several universities in Iran might open up for local students in a couple of weeks, but the university is yet to share any information with international students,' he says. Aman says if he is unable to go back, he may not be able to complete his foundational degree. 'Universities in Iran have tie-ups with other foreign universities, but the National Medical Council of India does not take cognisance of medical degrees from every other country. This degree is the only way my family and I can climb the societal and financial ladder,' he adds. Imroz left Iran during her semester exams. She spends all her time chatting with worried friends on WhatsApp and following the news. 'We have not received a single notification from our university about when our classes will resume, so my brother and I have no clue what lies ahead,' she says. Imroz has left all her books and notes in Iran, so even if she is asked to study online, she believes it is going to be a challenge. The parents of these students are equally worried. Md. Kachakkarel, 55, from Malappuram in Kerala, has spent nearly all his savings to educate his youngest daughter. 'I have spent more than ₹45 lakh for her degree and stay in Iran,' he says. 'If she cannot complete her degree, what was the point of my working in the Gulf for 25 years?' Kachakkarel went to work at construction sites in Saudi Arabia to save enough to fund the education of his three daughters. 'I saved every penny doing manual labour to ensure that my children could pursue higher education, which I could not. My youngest daughter has come back from Iran. The older two had to live through extreme stress while pursuing medical degrees from Russia, which is at war with Ukraine,' he says. While Indian students from Iran are unsure about when they can go back, those studying in Israel are more certain that they will be able to go back soon. The postdoctoral student studying in Israel says considering how prepared the country seems to be in dealing with emergencies, he is certain that things will get better soon and he will be able to resume his research. A sense of déjà vu Reports and videos of students deplaning after being evacuated from Iran and Israel with nothing but backpacks and small trolleys brought back many unhappy memories for Dr. Jeetender Gaurav. The 30-year-old resident of Patna, Bihar, was one of the many students evacuated from Ukraine in 2022. He was relieved then, but that warm feeling quickly turned into fear as the situation in Ukraine worsened with time. When war broke out between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022, nearly 18,000 Indian medical students were evacuated from Ukraine under the Indian government's Operation Ganga. Among them were several students pursuing an MBBS degree. Following petitions from the students who had returned, the Central government committee recommended to the Supreme Court that the medical students be allowed to take the final MBBS exams in two attempts, according to the existing National Medical Council syllabus and guidelines. The Court agreed. Once they passed the exams, the students were required to complete a compulsory rotatory internship. The government clarified that this was an exception and would not set a precedent for the future. Those who had not finished their five-year course and chose to stay in India had to either take the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test to redo their medical degrees or explore other career options. Ukraine universities also offered to help students migrate to other foreign universities to complete their degrees. Some Indian students went back to Ukraine to finish their medical degrees. Jeetender, who had been pursuing a degree from Ternopil National Medical University and was in his third year, was one of them. He says his university was offering a transfer to universities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Georgia. But since a medical degree from these countries was not valid in India, many students waited and eventually went back to Ukraine. But on reaching Ukraine, the students realised that the situation was much worse than what they had imagined. After nearly eight months of continuous conflict, they were hit by skyrocketing inflation. Electricity supply, too, was limited. 'Russia had hit most of the major power grids, so we would get only two hours of electricity a day. For the rest of the day, we had to manage with candles. Our phone batteries would die often,' recalls Dr. Jeetender. While those like him, who went back and completed their degree, are now expected to clear the Foreign Medical Graduate exam and complete a year's internship, many who chose to pursue the last leg of their degree online are expected to take the same exam and follow it up with at at least two or three years of internship before getting a licence to practise. Dr. Jeetender says that unless the universities in Iran open their doors again for students, the road ahead will be as rocky as it was for him and his peers. 'The low availability of seats in Indian medical colleges makes it impossible for stranded students to be absorbed in,' he says. (With inputs from Bindu Shajan Perappadan)
India Gazette
9 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Iran Foreign Minister shares his country's perspective on current situation during phone conversation with Jaishankar
New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and thanked him for facilitating the safe evacuation of Indian nationals. The Iranian Minister shared his country's perspective and thinking in the current complex situation. In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, 'Spoke to FM @araghchi of Iran this afternoon. Appreciate his sharing Iran's perspective and thinking in the current complex situation. Thanked him for facilitating the safe evacuation of Indian nationals.' India, so far, has evacuated 3,426 Indian nationals from Iran and 818 Indian nationals from Israel in Operation Sindhu, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday during a weekly briefing. 'We launched Operation Sindhu on the 18th of June. We have around 10,000 people from the Indian community in Iran, around 40,000 people in Israel who are Indian nationals.' Iran's nuclear program took serious blows in Israel's bombings since June 13, and particularly early on Sunday, when the US dropped massive bunker-buster munitions and fired missiles at three of its nuclear facilities, joining the Israeli campaign. The Israeli and American strikes targeted uranium enrichment sites and various research and development facilities tied to the program. Washington DC and Tel Aviv have asserted that the bombings caused significant damage to Iran's nuclear ambitions and set the country back considerably, Times of Israel reported. Early Tuesday morning, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel following the strikes, urging both sides 'not to violate it.' It was not immediately clear how Washington and Jerusalem intended to solidify the military achievements and prevent Iran from restarting its nuclear efforts following that announcement. Both countries confirmed the ceasefire after it was announced, but the truce appeared on the verge of collapse mere hours after its declaration, when Iran launched two missiles toward northern Israel. Israel's leaders vowed retaliation, as per the Times of Israel. Iran's ISNA news agency asserted that reports Iran had fired missiles after the ceasefire took effect were false. (ANI)
India Gazette
9 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
4415 Indians evacuated from conflict zones in Iran, Israel via 19 special flights: MEA
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): The Indian government has initiated Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from conflict zones in Iran and Israel amid escalating tensions in West Asia. The operation, which began on June 18, has successfully evacuated over 4415 Indian nationals so far. 'A total of 4415 Indian nationals (3597 from Iran and 818 from Israel) have been evacuated so far using 19 special evacuation flights, including 3 IAF C-17 aircraft. 14 OCI card-holders, 9 Nepali nationals, 4 Sri Lankan nationals and 1 Iranian spouse of an Indian national were also evacuated from Iran,' the Ministry of External Affairs said. 'The evacuated Indian nationals included more than 1500 women and 500 children,' it added. According to MEA, on 17-18 June, Indian Missions in Tehran, Yerevan, and Ashgabat coordinated the evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran through land border crossings to Armenia and Turkmenistan. Special evacuation flights commenced on 18 June and facilitated the return of Indian nationals to New Delhi. The majority of evacuations were carried out through Mashhad, following Iran's opening of its airspace for evacuation flights under Operation Sindhu on June 20 at India's request. 'We thank the Government of Iran for this gesture. A total of 3597 Indian nationals -- including students, workers, professionals, pilgrims and fishermen - from more than 15 Indian states - were brought back to India from Yerevan, Ashgabat and Mashhad from June 18 to 26using 15 special evacuation flights,' as per MEA. The Israel leg of Operation Sindhu commenced on June 23. Indian Missions in Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Amman and Cairo facilitated the movement of Indian nationals across land borders to Jordan and Egypt. A total of 818 Indian nationals were evacuated, including students, workers and professionals. They were evacuated from Amman and Sharm al Sheikh from June 22 to 25 using four evacuation flights including 3 IAF C-17 aircraft. MEA noted that, 'in view of the reopening of the airspace, evacuation operations were halted on June 25. Further actions will be taken based on the evolving situation in West Asia.' The Government of India is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad. Under PM Narendra Modi's guidance, Operation Sindhu is another demonstration of this commitment, said the MEA. 'We thank the Governments of Iran, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Armenia and Turkmenistan for their support during Operation Sindhu. Indian Missions will stay engaged with host Governments and the Indian community in Iran, Israel and the wider West Asia region,' it added. (ANI)
India.com
11 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
4415 Indian nationals brought home from Iran and Israel under Operation Sindhu: MEA
New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs Dr. L. Murugan receives 268 Indian nationals repatriated from Israel under Operation Sindhu upon their arrival in an IAF C-17 flight from Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt, in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS/X/@MEAIndia) New Delhi: A total of 4415 Indian nationals – 3597 from Iran and 818 from Israel – have been evacuated so far using 19 special evacuation flights during Operation Sindhu, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. The evacuated Indian nationals included more than 1500 women and 500 children. The flights, including three C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force, also brought home 14 OCI card-holders, nine Nepali nationals, four Sri Lankan nationals and one Iranian spouse of an Indian national. As tensions escalated in West Asia, the government of India had launched Operation Sindhu on June 18 to evacuate Indian nationals from conflict zones in Iran and Israel. On June 17-18, Indian Missions in Tehran, Yerevan, and Ashgabat coordinated the evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran through land border crossings to Armenia and Turkmenistan. Special evacuation flights commenced on June 18 and facilitated the return of Indian nationals to New Delhi. The majority of evacuations were carried out through Mashhad, after Iran opened its airspace for evacuation flights under Operation Sindhu on June 20 on New Delhi's request. 'We thank the Government of Iran for this gesture. A total of 3597 Indian nationals — including students, workers, professionals, pilgrims and fishermen – from more than 15 Indian states – were brought back to India from Yerevan, Ashgabat and Mashhad from June 18-26 using 15 special evacuation flights,' the MEA stated. The Israel leg of Operation Sindhu commenced on June 23 with the Indian Missions in Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Amman and Cairo facilitating the movement of Indian nationals across land borders to Jordan and Egypt. A total of 818 Indian nationals were evacuated, including students, workers and professionals. They were evacuated from Amman and Sharm al Sheikh from June 22-25 using four evacuation flights, including three IAF C-17 aircraft. 'The Government of India is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad. Under PM Narendra Modi's guidance, Operation Sindhu is another demonstration of this commitment. We thank the Governments of Iran, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Armenia and Turkmenistan for their support during Operation Sindhu. Indian Missions will stay engaged with host Governments and the Indian community in Iran, Israel and the wider West Asia region,' read the statement issued by the MEA. It added that, in view of the re-opening of the airspace, evacuation operations were halted on June 25 and further actions will be taken based on the evolving situation in West Asia.
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First Post
13 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Over 4,400 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran, Israel in 19 special flights so far: MEA
India has so far evacuated more than 4,400 Indian nationals from Iran and Israel in 19 special flights under Operation Sindhu launched on June 18, according to the Ministry of External Affairs read more Indian students returning from Iran via Armenia, under an evacuation operation facilitated by the Government of India. They are seen exiting from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, in New Delhi, on June 19. 110 students from Kashmir Valley reached New Delhi early Thursday. PTI India has so far evacuated more than 4,400 Indian nationals from Iran and Israel in 19 special flights under Operation Sindhu launched on June 18 to bring home its citizens amid an ongoing conflict between the two countries, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The evacuated Indian nationals included 'more than 1,500 women and 500 children', the MEA said in a statement on Friday. 'The government of India is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance, Operation Sindhu is another demonstration of this commitment,' it said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We thank the governments of Iran, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Armenia and Turkmenistan for their support during Operation Sindhu. Indian Missions will stay engaged with host governments and the Indian community in Iran, Israel and the wider West Asia region,' the MEA added. A batch of 173 Indians evacuated from Iran reached Delhi late on Thursday night in a flight from Armenian capital Yerevan, the MEA had said in a post on X. Responding to queries on Operation Sindhu at his weekly media briefing a day before, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was assessing the situation on the ground and a decision on the future course of action would be taken based on it. More than 3,400 Indian nationals have so far been evacuated in 14 flights from Iran since the start of Operation Sindhu, according to data shared by Jaiswal during the briefing. The MEA spokesperson later shared updated evacuee figures in a post on X after the arrival of the flight from Yerevan. 'A special evacuation flight from Yerevan, Armenia landed in New Delhi at 22:30 hrs on 26th June, bringing home 173 Indian nationals from Iran,' he said. 'As part of #OperationSindhu, a total of 4,415 Indian nationals (3,597 from Iran and 818 from Israel) have been evacuated so far using 19 special evacuation flights including 3 IAF aircraft. 14 OCI card-holders, 9 Nepali nationals, 4 Sri Lankan nationals and 1 Iranian spouse of an Indian national were also evacuated from Iran,' he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On June 24, India said while it remained 'deeply concerned about the prospects for overall and sustained regional security and stability', it welcomed reports of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Hours after US President Donald Trump's claims of an Iran-Israel ceasefire, the MEA had, in a statement, said 'India stands ready to play its part' to resolve the situation and insisted on 'dialogue and diplomacy' as the way forward. Jaiswal was asked on Thursday if India would continue Operation Sindhu after the Iran-Israel ceasefire and about the total number of Indian nationals evacuated from the two countries so far. 'We launched Operation Sindhu on June 18. We have around 10,000 people. Indian community members in Iran. And around 40,000 people in Israel who are Indian nationals,' he had said. One Iranian woman, who is the wife of an Indian national, has also been evacuated, Jaiswal had added. The majority of the evacuations were carried out through Mashhad, after Iran opened its airspace for the evacuation flights under Operation Sindhu on June 20 on India's request, the MEA said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Israel leg of Operation Sindhu commenced on June 23. Indian missions in Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Amman and Cairo facilitated the movement of Indian nationals through land borders to Jordan and Egypt. 'A total of 818 Indian nationals were evacuated, including students, workers and professionals. They were evacuated from Amman and Sharm al Sheikh from 22-25 June using four evacuation flights, including 3 IAF C-17 aircraft,' the MEA added. In view of the re-opening of the airspace, the evacuation operations were halted on June 25. Further actions will be taken based on the evolving situation in West Asia, the statement said. A special flight carrying 272 Indians and three Nepalese nationals from Iran arrived in Delhi a little past midnight (on June 26) from the Iranian city of Mashhad, Jaiswal had posted on X earlier. India evacuated 296 Indian citizens and four Nepalese nationals from Iran on Wednesday. On Tuesday, it evacuated more than 1,100 citizens from Iran and Israel. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It brought back 594 Indians from Israel, using C-17 heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force to fly out more than 400 people after they were moved out of Israel to Jordan and Egypt by land transit points. Also, 161 Indians were brought back in a chartered flight from Amman after they had moved to the Jordanian capital from Israel by road. A total of 573 Indians, three Sri Lankans and two Nepalese nationals were evacuated from Iran in two chartered flights on Tuesday, according to details shared by the MEA. Several other flights have brought Indian nationals back home after being evacuated from Iran. Israel and Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at each other's cities and military and strategic facilities since the hostilities began around two weeks ago. The tensions escalated significantly following the US bombing of three major Iranian nuclear sites on the morning of June 22. The first flight landed in New Delhi late on June 20 with 290 Indians and the second one landed in the capital on June 21 afternoon with 310 Indians. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
