New Delhi, Dec 11 (NVI) As chaos prevailed in Syria, India evacuated 75 of its nationals from there to Lebanon today.
The evacuees included 44 ‘zaireen’ (pilgrims) from Jammu & Kashmir who were stranded at Saida Zainab, said External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal.
All Indian nationals have safely crossed over to Lebanon and will return by available commercial flights to India, he said.
The step has been taken in view of the situation in Syria where rebels have seized power and the ruler of three decades President Bashar Al-Assad has fled the country.
The evacuation, coordinated by the embassies of India in Damascus and Beirut, was put into effect following our assessment of the security situation and requests from Indian nationals in Syria, the spokesman said.
“The Government of India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad,” he said.
Indian nationals remaining in Syria are advised to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus at their emergency helpline number +963 993385973 (also on WhatsApp) and email ID ([email protected]) for updates, the spokesman said.
The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely, he added. (NVI)
