Operation Sindhu: 110 Indian students reach Delhi safely after being evacuated from Iran; Govt says more planes on the way
The first batch of 110 students landed in Delhi early Thursday morning under Operation Sindhu. They were evacuated by road to Armenia on Tuesday and later boarded a special flight from the capital, Yerevan.
NEW DELHI: For 100+plus families, Thursday morning brought a wave of relief and good tidings as Operation Sindhu kicked in. The first flight under this rescue scheme touched down at Indira Gandhi International Airport early morning, carrying 110 Indian students evacuated from conflict?torn Iran.
As part of the Government of India's rescue efforts from Iran, we facilitated the arrival of 110 passengers at Terminal 3 a short while ago. @MoCA_GoI @RamMNK @MEAIndia @HMOIndia @IndiGo6E #OperationSindhu #DelhiAirport pic.twitter.com/3fyboAQqzT
〞 Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) June 19, 2025
For more than 100 Indian students at Urmia Medical University, there was anxiety and apprehension till the rescue efforts kicked in. On June 17, they were escorted overland from northern Iran into Armenia, before boarding a special flight from Yerevan on June 18.
What is Operation Sindhu?
Operation Sindhu, launched by India＊s Ministry of External Affairs on June 18, aims to repatriate its nationals amid the burgeoning Iran每Israel crisis that has triggered chaos in the world＊s geo-political order.
On Wednesday MEA spokesperson Randhir?Jaiswal took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to confirm that the evacuation mission had kicked off, and government officials were in touch with Iranian and Armenian authorities. In a tweet accompanied by pictures of students aboard the carrier, he also reiterated that India ※accords the highest priority to the safety and security of her nationals abroad.§
Operation Sindhu begins ??.
〞 Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 18, 2025
India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on 17th June. They departed from Yerevan on a＃ pic.twitter.com/8WJom7wh5f
More help on the way
Kirti?Vardhan?Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, who was at the Delhi airport to receive the students, confirmed additional flights are expected soon, including routes via Turkmenistan, supported by 24℅7 control rooms and embassy helplines.
Warmly welcomed home the first group of 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran as part of #OperationSindhu, reaffirming India＊s steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad.@MEAIndia @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/FfDGkW21HK
〞 Kirti Vardhan Singh (@KVSinghMPGonda) June 19, 2025
"We have planes ready. We will be sending another plane today. We are evacuating some more people from Turkmenistan. Our missions have opened 24 hour lines for any request for evacuation. As the situation evolves, we will be sending more planes to evacuate Indian nationals," Singh said, while speaking with reporters at the airport.
＆Drones and Missiles ＃＊
Meanwhile, for the young students returning home, the events of the past few days kept flashing by. Some evacuees described harrowing scenes, and recalled the ※drones and missiles.§ ※Our neighbourhood was bombed,§ said Mir Khalif, an MBBS student.
Others described the chaotic atmosphere that engulfed Tehran following the Israeli airstrikes that targeted nuclear and military sites, including the Natanz facility, triggering Iranian retaliatory missile and drone strikes.
An estimated 4,000 nationals, nearly half of whom are students, remain in Iran.
Israel-Iran War
The Israel每Iran war, which broke out on June 13, has already claimed hundreds of lives. The casualty in Iran has crossed 639, with widespread infrastructure damage including disruption to the Middle Eastern airspace and travel .
Operation Ganga in 2022
During the Ukraine-Russia crisis in 2022, India had launched Operation Ganga to evacuate thousands of its citizens, mostly students stranded in Ukraine. Following Russia＊s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, commercial flights were suspended that led to over 20,000 Indian nationals being stranded. The Indian government swiftly coordinated with neighbouring countries including Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia to evacuate those stranded.
Special flights operated by Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet brought back over 18,000 students in multiple phases. Indian embassies and volunteers worked around the clock, arranging transportation from conflict zones like Kharkiv and Sumy to safer borders.
We keep you updated with the latest happenings from India and across the globe. Whether it's something quirky, emotional, inspiring, or informative 每 we've got you covered.