75 Indians evacuated from Syria after rebel takeover

They have safely crossed over to Lebanon, will return by available commercial flights to India, says MEA

New Delhi: Two days after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar Assad‘s authoritarian government in a shock offensive, India evacuated 75 of its nationals from Syria.

The evacuation, coordinated by the embassies of India in Damascus and Beirut, was put into effect following an assessment of the security situation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

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“The Government of India evacuated 75 Indian nationals from Syria, following recent developments in that country,” it said in a late-night statement on Tuesday.

“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.

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 is monitoring the unfolding developments in Syria and advocated a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process going forward in that country.