Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 22: Bringing relief to hundreds of worried families, a Mahan Air evacuation flight carrying 256 Indian students—mostly from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kashmir Valley—landed safely in Delhi on Saturday, as part of Operation Sindhu.

The students, stranded in Iran amid the escalating Israel-Iran tensions, appeared drained but grateful after days of uncertainty. “We thank the Government of India for its timely efforts and coordination with Iranian authorities,” the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association said in a statement.

A third evacuation flight is also expected to land in Delhi around 11:30 pm, continuing the mission to bring home nearly 1,000 Indian nationals stranded in conflict-hit areas.

This marks the second successful evacuation within 24 hours. A previous flight from Mashhad, Iran, with 290 Indian students, had arrived in Delhi late Friday night. Indian authorities, working with their Iranian counterparts, facilitated student movement between Tehran and Mashhad, with Iran even opening its airspace to support the operation.

The students' return has provided emotional relief to families, especially in remote regions of Jammu and Kashmir, who had been anxiously awaiting news from the war-torn zone.

Another rescue flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, is expected to land around 3 am Sunday, further bolstering India's large-scale evacuation efforts.

Launched by the Ministry of External Affairs, Operation Sindhu aims to evacuate Indians stranded in the Middle East following regional tensions that disrupted international air routes. On Thursday, 110 Indian students were also evacuated via Armenia and Doha.

The Students’ Association reiterated its appreciation: “Heartfelt thanks to the MEA, Indian Embassy in Iran, and all officials involved for ensuring the safety of our students.”