NEW DELHI: As Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Hamas in Gaza, following the terror attacks of October 7, entered its 15th day, a sixth flight carrying 143 Indian citizens arrived in New Delhi under ‘Operation Ajay’ on Sunday night.
The evacuees, who returned by the Indian aircraft, included two Nepalese citizens.
Sharing an update from his official handle on X, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Arindam Bagchi, posted, “6th #OperationAjay flight lands in New Delhi. 143 passengers, including 2 Nepalese citizens arrived onboard the flight. Welcomed by MoS @SteelMinIndia & @MoRD_GoI @fskulaste at the airport.”
6th #OperationAjay flight lands in New Delhi.
143 passengers including 2 Nepalese citizens arrived onboard the flight.
Welcomed by MoS @SteelMinIndia & @MoRD_GoI @fskulaste at the airport. pic.twitter.com/x5Ejj8mDqa
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) October 22, 2023
The passengers were received by the Ministry of Steel, the Ministry of Rural Development, and Faggan Singh Kulaste at the New Delhi airport.
The sixth flight carrying Indian nationals departed from Tel Aviv for Delhi on Sunday evening.
‘Operation Ajay’ is an ongoing Indian operation to evacuate citizens caught up in Israel amid the raging conflict with the terrorist organisation Hamas.
Earlier, the fifth flight carrying 286 Indian nationals, including 18 Nepalese citizens, arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday late night.
So far, about 1,200 passengers, including 18 Nepalese citizens, have been flown back safely from Israel under ‘Operation Ajay’ and more flights could be sent as per the requirements, the Ministry of External Affairs informed earlier.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the central government was assessing the situation in Israel amid the ongoing war with Hamas.
He refuted any reports of Indian casualties in Gaza, adding, however, that one Indian national was injured in the attacks.
“I thankfully have not received any reports of any casualty…one Indian national had been injured and is receiving medical care, and I understand her condition is now stable,” he said.
The MEA spokesperson stated further that around four Indian nationals are in Gaza while another 12-13 are in West Bank.
“There are around four Indian nationals in Gaza…we don’t have exact numbers and are coordinating. There are 12-13 Indian nationals in the West Bank…It’s a little tough to get out from Gaza. There are some reports that some have already got out of there, but we will wait for confirmation,” he said.
The Indian nationals applauded the ongoing operation to repatriate citizens caught up in the conflict, saying there was support from the Indian embassy and the evacuation process was “nice and quick”.
Following the Hamas attacks on Israel, the Indian embassy issued an advisory requesting citizens to be cautious and register their names with the consulate. (ANI)