December 11, 2024 - Two days after rebels took over Syria, storming into Damascus and forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee the country, India has evacuated 75 of its nationals from the war-torn area. The evacuees are currently in neighbouring Lebanon and will soon be brought back to India.

According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 44 of the evacuees are “zaireen” or pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir who were stranded at Sayyidah Zaynab, a town in Syria about 10 kms from Damascus.

The MEA issued a statement last night saying, “The Government of India today evacuated 75 Indian nationals from Syria, following recent developments in that country.”

Indian Ambassador to Lebanon, Muhammad Noor Rahman Sheikh received the evacuees upon their arrival in Beirut.

The MEA has issued an advisory: “Indian nationals remaining in Syria are advised to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus. The government will continue to closely monitor the situation.”