Operation Sindhu: India Extends Mission to Evacuate Citizens of Nepal, Sri Lanka from Iran Amid Israel-Iran Conflict

The Indian Embassy in Iran has announced that it will extend its evacuation efforts to include citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka. This decision comes following official requests from the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka. “At the request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy’s evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka,” the embassy stated in a post on X.

What Is Operation Sindhu?

Amid the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, the Centre has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed that a total of 517 Indian nationals have been successfully brought back to India so far under this operation, news agency ANI reported.

A recent evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, landed in New Delhi at 3:00 AM on June 21, carrying Indian citizens who had been stranded in Iran. “Operation Sindhu continues,” Jaiswal wrote in a post on X.

What Ignited the Iran-Israel Conflict?

Tensions flared on June 13 when Israel launched a large-scale airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, under the Operation ‘Rising Lion’. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) carried out a counterattack named ‘Operation True Promise 3’, targeting key Israeli infrastructure, reportedly including jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centers. Several of Iran’s top military commanders and nuclear scientists have been reported dead, with both sides accusing each other of targeting civilian infrastructure and inflicting heavy casualties.

A Look at India’s Track Record of Evacuation Operations:

Operation Sindhu adds to the long history of evacuation missions that India has carried out in times of international crises. Previously, India launched

• Operation Kaveri (2023): Evacuation during military clashes in Sudan
• Operation Ajay (2023): Evacuation from Israel amid the Israel-Hamas conflict
• Operation Ganga (2022): Evacuation during the Russia-Ukraine war
• Operation Devi Shakti (2021): Evacuation after the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan
• Operation Samudra Setu (2020): Evacuation during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Operation Raahat (2015): Evacuation during the civil conflict in Yemen
• Operation Safe Homecoming (2011): Evacuation during the Arab Spring in Libya

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(This is an ANI copy published after repurposing from a syndicated feed)