Categories: India

Operation Sindhu: 260 Indians To Return From Israel On First Evacuation Flight, Says Congress MP Imran Masood

Congress MP Imran Masood confirmed that the first evacuation flight under Operation Sindhu, carrying 260 Indians from Israel, will land in India on Tuesday. He stated that over 10,000 Indians remain stranded in Iran and Israel, with 2,500 formally requesting evacuation. So far, 1,713 Indian nationals have returned.

Published by Shreyansh Dadsena
Last updated: June 23, 2025 20:20:13 IST

India’s evacuation operation, Operation Sindhu, is going full steam ahead with the first flight of 260 Indian citizens from Israel likely to touch down in India on Tuesday.

This was confirmed by Congress MP Imran Masood, who has been diligently interacting with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the matter.

Masood explained that more than 10,000 Indians are stranded in war-torn areas of Iran and Israel, while approximately 2,500 have made formal requests for evacuation.

Of these, 1,713 Indians have so far been repatriated through government-assisted efforts.

285 Indians Return from Iran

On the other hand, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita welcomed a new group of 285 Indian evacuees at Delhi Airport late Saturday night.

They had come on a special flight from Mashhad, Iran, and comprised individuals from several states like Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

The Ministry informed that with this batch, 1,713 Indians were brought back from Iran.

More Flights Planned

As part of the ongoing attempts to evacuate stranded residents, Margherita also disclosed that the government has scheduled three additional evacuation flights from Iran in the next two to three days.

Also, the MEA has asserted that 161 Indians, who were previously relocated from Israel to Amman, Jordan by land, will be flown back to India shortly.

They are slated to arrive in the next 48 hours.

Operation Sindhu in Full Motion

The MEA tweeted on social media platform X (also known as Twitter), saying:

India’s evacuation operations continue under Operation Sindhu. MoS Shri Pabitra Margherita welcomed 285 Indian nationals evacuated on a special flight from Mashhad, which arrived in New Delhi at 23:30 hrs on June 22.”

As tensions in the neighborhood increase, India’s quick response to repatriate its citizens highlights the government’s continued commitment to the well-being and protection of its diaspora.

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