All Indians who wished to return home from Syria brought back, says MEA

We have evacuated all Indian nationals in Syria who wished to return home following recent developments in that country, the MEA said on Friday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said India has evacuated from Syria all those who wished to return amid tensions in the country after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar Assad's authoritarian government there.

A man carries a suitcase on his shoulders while walking towards the Lebanese border, at the Masnaa Border Crossing, Syria, December 12, 2024. (REUTERS)

The Syrian government led by President Assad collapsed last week as the rebels seized control of capital Damascus after capturing several other prominent cities and towns. Assad fled the country and is believed to be in Russia's Moscow.

"We have evacuated all Indian nationals in Syria who wished to return home following recent developments in that country. So far, 77 Indian nationals from Syria have been evacuated," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday.

Among the 77 nationals evacuated so far, 44 were ‘zaireen' (pilgrims) from Jammu & Kashmir who were stranded in the city of Saida Zainab. All Indian nationals safely crossed over to Lebanon and returned by available commercial flights to India, according to MEA.

Jaiswal said that Indian embassy personnel in Damascus accompanied them to the border, after which the country's mission in Lebanon received them and facilitated their immigration. He was replying to a question at his weekly media briefing.

Jaiswal also said the embassy made arrangements for their boarding and lodging in Beirut and for their travel back home.

"Most of our nationals have already returned to India and the remaining will be arriving later today or tomorrow," he said. “The 44 zaireen who were on a pilgrimage to Syria have also left Beirut yesterday to visit other religious sites in the region.”

'Embassy in Syria continues to function'

During Friday's briefing, Jaiswal also said that the Indian Embassy in Syria continues to function.

Earlier this week, India called for a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process to bring stability in that country.

"We are monitoring the situation in Syria in the light of on-going developments. We underline the need for all parties to work towards preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria," the MEA had said on Monday.

"We advocate a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process respecting the interests and aspirations of all sections of Syrian society," it added.