At least 75 Indians have been evacuated from war-torn Syria, where rebels have overthrown Bashar al-Assad's government and want to form a government on their own. The Indian nationals have crossed safely to Lebanon and will return to India on commercial flights, the Ministry of External Affairs said late last night.
There were requests from Indian nationals in Syria and an assessment of the security situation was conducted following which the evacuation was coordinated by the Indian embassies in Damascus and Beirut, the ministry said.
The government has advised Indians still in Syria to keep in touch with the embassy in Damascus through the helpline number +963 993385973, also on WhatsApp, and email address [email protected].
The development comes after rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham captured the capital Damascus and declared a new era. Assad, a Kremlin ally, fled to Russia before rebels overran his palace and has reportedly been granted asylum there.
