Tehran [Iran], June 21 (ANI): The Indian Embassy in Iran has announced that, at the request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, it will extend its evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu to include citizens from these two neighboring countries.
“On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy’s evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka,” the Embassy said in a post on X on Saturday.
The Indian government launched Operation Sindhu in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, aiming to ensure the safe return of Indian nationals caught in the crossfire. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated on Saturday that a special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, arrived in New Delhi earlier that day, carrying Indian nationals from Iran.
With this flight, a total of 517 Indian citizens have been successfully repatriated under Operation Sindhu. The operation remains ongoing as conflict conditions in Iran continue to pose serious risks.
The conflict, now entering its ninth day, began on June 13 when Israel launched a large-scale offensive on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, codenamed Operation Rising Lion. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched Operation True Promise 3, a wide-ranging drone and missile strike targeting key Israeli energy and military infrastructure.
India’s commitment to humanitarian efforts and regional solidarity has been evident through several past evacuation missions. These include:
- Operation Kaveri (2023): Sudan conflict
- Operation Ajay (2023): Israel-Hamas conflict
- Operation Ganga (2022): Russia-Ukraine war
- Operation Devi Shakti (2021): Post-Taliban takeover in Afghanistan
- Operation Samudra Setu (2020): COVID-19 maritime evacuation
- Operation Raahat (2015): Yemen civil war
- Operation Safe Homecoming (2011): Libyan civil unrest
India’s decision to evacuate Nepalese and Sri Lankan nationals underlines New Delhi’s growing role as a regional humanitarian leader, capable of coordinating multinational efforts in times of crisis. (ANI)
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