On Thursday, a special flight brought 110 Indian students from Armenia to New Delhi. These students were studying at Urmia University in northwestern Iran. Due to the conflict between Israel and Iran, they were moved to Armenia for safety.

How the Evacuation Happened

The Ministry of External Affairs oversaw the evacuation. Indian embassies in Iran and Armenia handled the operation. The students boarded a special flight from Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, on Wednesday.

Where the Students Came From

Among the 110 students:

• 94 were from Jammu and Kashmir
• The rest came from Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and other states

Government’s Quick Action

Kirti Vardhan Singh, the Minister of State for External Affairs, shared that more Indians are being evacuated. He mentioned that planes are on standby for further evacuations. Another plane was sent the same day to bring back more people from Turkmenistan.

Singh also added, “Our missions have set up 24-hour helplines for any evacuation requests. New Delhi will send more aircraft to bring back Indian citizens as needed.”

Understanding the Conflict

The conflict between Israel and Iran worsened on June 13. Israeli forces targeted what they believed were nuclear sites in Iran. Their goal was to slow down Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran responded with missile attacks on Israel.

Impact of the Attacks

The attacks have raised fears of a larger conflict in the region. The casualties so far include:

• At least 639 people killed in Iran
• More than 1,320 wounded in Iran
• At least 24 people killed in Israel

What Both Sides Say

Israel claims that Iran was close to making a nuclear weapon. They stated that they had to act to protect their citizens. Iran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Also read: Caught in Iran crossfire, Kashmiri students wait for a passage home