The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, has said that 75 Indian nationals were evacuated from Syria after rebels ousted the country’s president Bashar al- Assad. The evacuation was coordinated by the embassies of India in Damascus and Beirut following assessment of the security situation and requests from Indian nationals in Syria, the Ministry said in a statement.

It also informed that the evacuees included 44 ‘zaireen’ from Jammu & 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, the Ministry added.

The External Affairs Ministry has further advised Indian nationals remaining in Syria to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus at their emergency helpline number +963 993385973 (also on WhatsApp) and email ID (hoc.damascus@mea.gov.in) for updates.

The Government of India will continue to monitor the situation closely, it said.

All 75 Indian nationals evacuated from Syria including 44 ‘zaireen’ from Jammu & Kashmir who were stranded at Saida Zainab, have now reached Beirut. Ambassador @NoorRahman_IFS received them upon their arrival in Beirut. They will return by available commercial flights to India. https://t.co/UWdEDDW7Cj pic.twitter.com/WVGGQ2K12g

— India in Lebanon (Embassy of India, Beirut) (@IndiaInLebanon) December 10, 2024