The first flight carrying over 100 students evacuated from war-hit Iran via Armenia landed safely in Delhi in the early hours of Thursday. The students, who had been stranded amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, were brought home from the Iranian capital under 'Operation Sindhu'.
The Indian Embassy in Tehran facilitated the evacuation of Indian students from the Iranian capital under 'Operation Sindhu'. On Tuesday, 110 students were successfully moved out of Tehran and crossed into Armenia via land routes. The evacuation was part of emergency efforts to ensure the safety of Indian nationals as tensions in the region continued to rise.
Students thanked Indian government
Students who were evacuated from war-torn Iran recalled the critical situation they were faced with in the country, and thanked the Indian government for swift action in bringing them back home.
Varta, a student from Kashmir, who was among those who landed here, said, "We were the first ones to be evacuated from Iran. The situation was quite critical. We were terrified. We thank Indian government and Indian embassy who worked very fast and swiftly to bring us here.
"Our neighbourhood was attacked. When the Indian government came to our doorstep it felt like home," she said. She said the Armenian authorities were also very helpful.
Another student evacuated from Iran said, "I am happy that I am back to our country. We didn't see any such thing in Urmia, but in other places across Iran, the situation was bad. The Government of India helped a lot, which is why we are back home."
"I am a final year MBBS student at Urmia University... We saw drones and missiles. We were scared... We are happy to return to India and are very thankful to the government of India, especially the Ministry of External Affairs... Our parents were also worried, but now they are happy," said a student.
Mir Khalif, an MBBS student who landed in Delhi, said it was a tense situation in Iran. "We could see missiles. There was a war going on. Our neighbourhood was bombed. We were very afraid of the situation. I hope we will never see those days again," he told reporters.
Khalif thanked the Indian government for evacuating them first to Armenia and then bringing them back home. "There are students still stuck in Iran. They are being relocated to safer places. We hope they will also be airlifted to India soon," he added.
Ali Akbar, another Indian student, said that while they were travelling in a bus, they saw a missile and a drone falling. "The situation that has been shown in the news is correct. It is extremely bad. Tehran has been destroyed," the student from Delhi said.
Yasir Gaffar, an Indian evacuated from Iran, said, "We saw the missiles passing by and the loud sounds at night. I am happy to reach India. I haven't given up on my dreams. When the situation improves, we will return to Iran."
Amaan Azhar, a student evacuated from Iran, says, "I am very happy. I cannot express in words how happy I am to be finally able to meet my family. The situation in Iran is very bad. The people there are like us; there are small children who are suffering. War is not a good thing. It kills humanity..."
Mariam Roz, a student evacuated from Iran, says, "The Indian Embassy had already prepared everything for us. We did not face any issues. We are travelling for three days, so we are tired... The situation was not so bad in Urmia when we left. We would see missiles from the windows of our dorm..."
Parents of some students were seen anxiously waiting outside the airport for their children.
Haider Ali, father of 21-year-old Maaz Haider, an MBBS student in Iran, thanked the Indian government for the rescue efforts. "We are really happy. The students have been brought back home safely. We thank the Indian government for this. But we are sad that students, who are stuck in Tehran, have not been rescued," hesaid, and urged the authorities to evacuate students still stranded in Tehran.
Parvez Alam, father of Sameer Alam, was also seen waiting for his son at the airport. "It has been two years since he has been studying in Urmia. Everything was fine but recently the situation deteriorated. We were under a lot of stress. But the Indian government evacuated students to Armenia where they were kept in good hotels. We are thankful to the Indian government," the Bulandshahr resident told PTI Videos.
More people are being evacuated: MEA
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said more people are being evacuated. "We have planes ready. We will be sending another plane today. We are evacuating some more people from Turkmenistan. Our missions have opened 24 hour lines for any request for evacuation. As the situation evolves, we will be sending more planes to evacuate Indian nationals," Singh, who is also the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, told reporters.
He thanked governments in Turkmenistan and Armenia for their support.
(With agencies input)
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