Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 21: A special evacuation flight carrying 290 Indian students stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely at Delhi Airport late Friday night, marking the first phase of India’s 'Operation Sindhu'. As chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Hindustan Zindabad’ echoed across the terminal, several relieved evacuees thanked the Indian government for facilitating their return.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that out of the 290 evacuees, 190 were from Jammu and Kashmir. Two more chartered flights, including one from Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, are expected to arrive later on Saturday.

Despite regional hostilities and an official closure of its airspace, Iran made a significant gesture by permitting limited access for Indian evacuation flights. “Iran’s airspace is currently closed, but we’re facilitating limited access for the safe evacuation of Indian nationals,” said Mohammad Javad Hosseini, deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy in Delhi. He indicated that more flights may be scheduled soon, in close coordination with Indian authorities.

Students arriving from cities like Mashhad and Tehran shared harrowing experiences. Sehrish Rafique, an MBBS student from Iran University of Medical Sciences, told ANI, “The situation in Iran was quite devastating. At first, we didn't expect it would escalate. All Kashmiris are really thankful to the Indian government.”

Tazkiya Fatima, a resident of Noida, said, “There is a situation of war over there. We were not sure how we would make it out… But the Government of India made the whole process very smooth.”

Mir Mohammad Musharraf from Pulwama recalled, “We were stuck in Tehran, unaware of what to do. Our landlords also left and we were left behind. It was only our embassy that helped us reach here. Operation Sindhu is amazing and really helpful.”

Several evacuees also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the swift and coordinated response.

As the Israel-Iran war entered its second week, India has intensified efforts to bring home over 10,000 nationals, mostly students, from the region. The majority had already been relocated to safer cities like Qom and Mashhad prior to evacuation.

While no formal advisory has been issued, Indian authorities have urged citizens in Iran and Israel to remain cautious and limit movement. “We are arranging for the safe passage of Indians who want to leave via air, or through third countries,” Hosseini reiterated.

MEA secretary Arun Kumar Chatterjee remarked, “It reflects the strong ties between India and Iran,” acknowledging Tehran’s cooperation in allowing the use of its airspace for this humanitarian mission.