New Delhi: The Indian government has evacuated 75 Indian nationals from Syria, after rebels toppled former president Bashar al-Assad earlier this week in a swift uprising.
The evacuees included 44 ‘zaireen’ or pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir who were stranded at Saida Zainab, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press statement.
The Saida Zaynab Mosque is located near Damascus, and is thought by some to be the site of the grave of Zaynab bint Ali, the daughter of Ali and Fatima, and granddaughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
The MEA noted that all Indian nationals have safely crossed over to Lebanon and will return to India by commercial flights.
The evacuation was coordinated by the embassies of India in Damascus, in Syria, and Beirut, in Lebanon. It was put into effect following the Indian government’s assessment of the security situation and requests from Indian nationals in Syria, the MEA said.
Meanwhile, Syria’s new caretaker prime minister, Mohammed al-Bashir, appointed Syria’s new interim prime minister until March 1, 2025, has met with members of the country’s former government to facilitate a political transition, reported Al Jazeera.
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the head of Islamist Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), which overthrew Assad said in one of his first statements to a Western media organisation since Assad fled to Russia, that foreign countries do not need to fear Syria.
Al-Golani stressed that people in Syria were “exhausted from war,” adding that “the country isn’t ready for another one and it’s not going to get into another one.”
The MEA’s statement urged 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 Indian government will continue to monitor the situation closely, it said.
