India vacates its citizens from Syria as the rebels take over.

India Evacuates Citizens from Syria Amid Rebel Takeover

Written by: Supriya Kadu

Edited by: Pinky Deshmukh

Last Updated: December 11, 2024

Summary: The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that Indian nationals have moved to Lebanon and will soon arrive in India by commercial planes.

In the wake of the crisis triggered by the ousting of Bashar al-Assad's government, India evacuated 75 of its citizens from Syria on Tuesday. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Indian nationals who were first taken to neighboring Lebanon will fly back to India on commercial flights.

They said, “The evacuees included 44 ‘zaireen’ from Jammu & Kashmir who were stranded at Saida Zainab. All Indian nationals have safely crossed over to Lebanon and will return by available commercial flights to India.”

The evacuation, which was coordinated by India's embassies in Beirut and Damascus, took place after "our assessment of the security situation and requests from Indian nationals in Syria," the statement continued. This is the first security analysis of Syria's internal circumstances.

As the government continues to keep a careful eye on current conditions in the Middle East, the MEA asked Indian citizens who are still in Syria to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus. The statement emphasized how important it is to continue to look out for the welfare of Indians living abroad.

“The Government of India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. Indian nationals still in Syria are advised to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus at their emergency helpline number +963 993385973 (also on WhatsApp) and email ID (hoc.damascus@mea.gov.in) for updates. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely.