'Saw missile fall from sky': Evacuated Indian students share Iran ordeal; thank govt for safe return

Time of India

16 hours ago

In the wake of Operation Sindhu, Indian students returning from Iran shared their chilling accounts of survival amidst missile strikes and destruction. One student vividly recalled the sight of missiles raining down, leaving Tehran in devastation. The Indian government stepped in, offering comprehensive support for their safe return, including personalized assistance.
NEW DELHI: Indian students evacuated from Iran under Operation Sindhu shared harrowing accounts of their experiences as they landed in New Delhi early Thursday, describing scenes of missile attacks and bombing that turned their educational pursuit into a nightmare.
"We saw missiles in the sky and heard bombs in our neighbourhood... We were petrified," news agency PTI quoted MBBS student Mir Khalif as saying.
Khalif was among 110 Indian students, including 90 from Jammu and Kashmir, evacuated in the first flight under the special operation launched amid escalating Iran-Israel tensions.
The students were initially moved from Tehran to Armenia as Iranian cities faced aerial attacks and explosions.
"The situation was quite critical. We were terrified when our neighbourhood was attacked. When the government reached our doorstep, we felt relieved," recalled Varta, a student from Kashmir.
Delhi student Ali Akbar described the destruction he witnessed: "We saw a missile and a drone fall from the sky while travelling in a bus. Tehran is in ruins. The images on the news are real, the situation is very bad."
Sheikh Afsa, another evacuee, praised the government's door-to-door evacuation efforts.
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"The government literally evacuated us from our dormitory. They helped us at every step. We are grateful to the central government," she told news agency ANI, while expressing concern about their interrupted studies.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who received the students at Delhi airport, said that evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu are ongoing. "Another plane is ready to leave today.
We are also evacuating people from Turkmenistan. Our missions are running 24-hour helplines," he said.
At the airport, anxious parents waited to reunite with their children. "We are happy and grateful, but our hearts are still heavy knowing that many students are still stuck in Tehran," said Haider Ali, father of MBBS student Maaz Haider.
The government has launched Operation Sindhu in response to the deteriorating situation between Iran and Israel.
The rescue operation was coordinated by the Indian Embassy, with support from Armenian and Turkmenistan authorities. The MEA has affirmed that ensuring the safety of Indians abroad remains its highest priority.
'Saw missile fall from sky': Evacuated Indian students share Iran ordeal; thank govt for safe return
Meanwhile, on the seventh day of hostilities, Israel launched airstrikes against Iran's Arak heavy water reactor facility and Iran struck South Israel's main hospital.