Operation Sindhu: Indian Students Evacuated from Conflict-Zone Iran

New Delhi, Jun 19 (PTI) "We saw missiles in the sky and heard bombs in our neighbourhood... We were petrified," recalled MBBS student Mir Khalif, his voice still filled with fear. He was among the many students stepping out of the Delhi airport after their evacuation from war-torn Iran, thanks to Operation Sindhu.

Khalif arrived in the national capital early Thursday on the first evacuation flight, which brought back 110 Indian students, part of the Indian government’s special operation responding to the escalating Iran-Israel conflict.

The students, including 90 from Jammu and Kashmir, were initially relocated from Tehran to Armenia earlier this week amid relentless explosions and aerial attacks on Iranian cities. The Indian Embassy orchestrated the rescue operation.

Khalif described his experience in Iran as a nightmare: "We saw missiles and heard bombings. It was a war zone. Our building shook during the attacks. I hope no student has to face what we did."

Varta, a fellow student from Kashmir, recounted the terror she endured: "The situation was quite critical. We were terrified when our neighbourhood was attacked. When the Indian government reached our doorstep, we felt relieved," she said, expressing gratitude to the Indian Embassy and Armenian authorities for their prompt support.

Ali Akbar, a student from Delhi, mentioned the visible destruction: "We saw a missile and a drone fall from the sky while travelling in a bus. Tehran is in ruins. The images on the news are real, the situation is very bad."

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh was at the Delhi airport to welcome the students. Later, in a post on X, he said, "Warmly welcomed home the first group of 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu, reaffirming India's steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad."

Singh confirmed the ongoing evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu, with more flights planned. "Another plane is ready to leave today. We are also evacuating people from Turkmenistan. Our missions are running 24-hour helplines. As the situation unfolds, more flights will follow," he told reporters, extending thanks to the governments of Armenia and Turkmenistan for their cooperation.

At the Delhi airport, many parents anxiously awaited reunions with their children. Haider Ali, the father of MBBS student Maaz Haider, expressed mixed emotions: "We are happy and grateful, but our hearts are still heavy knowing that many students are still stuck in Tehran. We urge the government to bring them back too."

Parvez Alam from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, whose son studied in Urmia, said, "We were under constant stress. The students were shifted to Armenia and looked after well. We thank the government for this."

The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association also extended their gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for the evacuation efforts.

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