254 Nepali students return home

A group of 254 Nepali students rescued from the strife-torn Israel and led by Foreign Minister N P Saud arrived in Kathmandu on Friday.

A Nepal Airlines flight that took off from Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport on Thursday landed at Tribhuvan International Airport here this morning after a stopover in Dubai.

Nepal's Foreign Minister Saud, who flew to Israel a day before to facilitate the rescue mission, told the media the remaining Nepalis who have requested repatriation would be rescued soon.

The minister said 557 Nepalis had provided their details in response to a request from the Embassy of Nepal in Tel Aviv to those wishing to return to Nepal or relocate to safer places.

"Out of the 557 Nepalis, 503 had applied to return to Nepal and among them 254 have returned home today with us," he was quoted as saying by the Himalayan Times newspaper.

Minister Saud also said that 54 Nepalis who had requested to be relocated from risky areas have been shifted to safer zones in Israel.