Homebound via Turkmenistan: Kashmiri students among 700 Indians evacuated from Iran
Srinagar, Jun 18: After gathering from across Iranian cities in Qom, a group of around 700 students from India, many of them Kashmiris, are on their way to Mashad.
They will cross over to Turkmenistan and return home from there.
ìThis movement is part of ëOperation Sindhuí, launched by the Government of India to evacuate Indian nationals from conflict-hit Iran,î the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.
Speaking to Greater Kashmir, the group of students said they boarded buses in Qom city on Wednesday morning.
They said around 700 students from various colleges, mostly medical colleges, had been brought by Indian embassy officials in Iran to Qom.
ìMost of us have been directed to go towards Mashaad city now. Transport has been arranged for a 1000 km journey,î a student who was part of the evacuees told Greater Kashmir over the phone.
He said that the students were being moved in groups as per their colleges.
From Mashaad, they would be taken to Turkmenistan where they would board flights to Delhi.
ìWe have been told that some students will be taken through other countries,î the student said. According to media reports, the MEA was in the process of evacuating more students from other university hostels and private accommodations.
Among the 700 students that are in transit at present, a majority are from Kashmir, the students said.
Earlier this week, the first batch of 110 evacuated students reached Delhi via Armenia.
These students had crossed into Armenia on June 17 under coordination between Indian missions in Tehran and Yerevan, and departed Yerevan on a special flight at 2:55 pm on June 18, arriving in Delhi in the early hours of June 19.
On Monday, students from Isfahan and many other cities were brought to Qom for their safety amidst escalating violence in Tehran.
The MEA thanked the governments of Iran and Armenia for facilitating the evacuation and reaffirmed that the safety of Indian nationals abroad remains Indiaís priority.
Indian nationals in Iran have been advised to stay in touch with the embassy in Tehran and the 24x7 Control Room of the MEA in Delhi.
The Indian embassy in Iran warned Indians against staying in Iran while tensions between Israel and Iran grew.
With the regional situation worsening, more evacuations under ëOperation Sindhuí are expected in the coming days, depending on ground conditions and available transit routes.
