75 Indian nationals evacuated from Syria reach Beirut
The evacuation, coordinated by the embassies of India in Damascus and Beirut, was put into effect following an assessment of the security situation, says MEA
India has evacuated 75 of its nationals from Syria, two days after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad’s authoritarian government.
The evacuation, coordinated by the embassies of India in Damascus (Syria) and Beirut (Lebanon), was put into effect following an assessment of the security situation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
“The Government of India today evacuated 75 Indian nationals from Syria, following recent developments in that country,” it said in a late-night statement on Tuesday (December 10).
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Situation being monitored
“The evacuees included 44 ‘zaireen’ from Jammu and 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,” it said.
The MEA said the government accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad.
“Indian nationals remaining in Syria are advised to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus,” it said.
“The government will continue to monitor the situation closely,” the MEA added.
Also read: Syrian crisis will continue for a while; rebels not a unified force: Former Indian diplomats
Regime change in Syria
The Syrian government collapsed on Sunday as the rebels seized control of the capital Damascus after capturing several other prominent cities and towns. Assad fled the country after the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of Damascus, marking the end of his family’s 50-year rule.
Russian state media reported that Assad is in Moscow and will be given asylum. His nearly 14-year tenure was marked by civil war, bloodshed and brutal crackdown on his political opponents.
The MEA on Monday said it was monitoring the unfolding developments in Syria and advocated a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process going forward in that country.
(With agency inputs)
