NEW DELHI, June 19; The first batch of 110 Indian citizens, including 90 students from Jammu and Kashmir, safely arrived in New Delhi on Thursday morning aboard IndiGo flight 6E 9487, as part of Operation Sindhu — a special evacuation mission launched by the Government of India amid escalating military tensions in the Middle East.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh welcomed the evacuees at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, reaffirming the government’s commitment to safeguarding Indian nationals abroad.
The evacuation was carried out in coordination with Indian embassies in Iran and Armenia. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Indian students living in Tehran were moved out of the city due to growing security concerns and transported to Yerevan, Armenia, from where they boarded a special flight that departed Zvartnots International Airport at 14:55 IST on June 18, reaching Delhi in the early hours of June 19.
“Operation Sindhu begins. India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on June 17,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced on social media platform X.
The MEA also expressed its deep gratitude to the governments of Iran and Armenia for their cooperation and support in facilitating the safe passage of Indian citizens during this critical period.
In its official statement, the MEA reaffirmed, “India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad.” It added that the Indian Embassy in Iran has been actively assisting a large number of citizens in relocating from conflict-hit zones to relatively safer areas, and eventually organizing their evacuation through practical and available options.
Operation Sindhu is one of several proactive measures taken by the Indian government in recent days to address the safety concerns of its citizens in the wake of growing hostilities in the region. More evacuations may be expected as the situation unfolds and risk levels are assessed.
