Hundreds to be airlifted from Turkmenistan today
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, June 18: Ninety Kashmiri students are among 110 Indian nationals who were earlier this week evacuated to Armenia from war-torn Iran are expected to reach New Delhi by midnight while hundreds of students are on the way to Turkmenistan for evacuation.
The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, in a statement said that India has launched ‘Operation Sindhu’ to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran.
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“India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on 17th June. They departed from Yerevan on a special flight and will arrive in New Delhi in the early hours of 19th June 2025.”
The students departed Armenia on an IndiGo flight to Doha, from where they are scheduled to board a connecting flight to New Delhi.
“Immense relief for Kashmiri students and their families as 90 students from the Kashmir Valley are set to arrive in New Delhi tonight, amid the evacuation operation facilitated by the Government of India. Visuals from the airport,” the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) said, sharing a video from the airport.
As per details, all tickets have been arranged free of cost by the Government of India and a connecting flight from Delhi to Srinagar is also being arranged to ensure the students’ complete journey home.
“We are receiving information from the Ministry that tickets from Delhi to Srinagar are also being arranged to ensure a smooth and complete journey home for the students from Kashmir,” the JKSA, which is in constant contact with the students in Iran and the Ministry, stated.
According to the flight schedule, the students departed Yerevan Airport (EVN) at 08:45 hrs on June 18 on IndiGo flight 6E 9483 (A320) to Hamad International Airport, Doha. The flight was scheduled to arrive in Doha at 14:05 hrs, with check-in and baggage drop closing at 07:30 hrs.
From Doha, the students will board their connecting flight to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, Terminal 3.
The second leg of the journey is on IndiGo flight 6E 9487 (A320), scheduled to depart at 15:05 hrs and reach Delhi at 22:15 hrs.
Check-in and baggage drop for this flight closed at 13:50 hrs. “There is a possibility that the flight may experience a slight delay,” JKSA said.
Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of JKSA, told Excelsior that the first batch will reach New Delhi around 1:30 AM, and they are most likely to reach Srinagar tomorrow. “There is a possibility they will reach Srinagar tomorrow,” he added.
Detailing the evacuation process, Khuehami said that those stranded are first relocated to safer places such as Qom before being moved to Armenia.
“Primarily, Armenia has been made the central location for facilitating the evacuation process, as airports and ports in Iran remain closed.”
It is estimated that the complete evacuation of Indian nationals from the region may take at least 10 days, as the situation continues to escalate, leaving only a narrow window for relocation and subsequent evacuation.
Meanwhile, over 1500 Indian students, mostly Kashmiris who were earlier shifted from Tehran to Qom are now enroute to Mashhad. The journey is expected to take approximately 12 hours. From there, they are likely to cross to Turkmenistan by midnight before returning to India.
The JKSA said that it is closely monitoring the situation and remains in constant coordination with both the students and the authorities to ensure their safe and swift return.
Meanwhile, In light of the escalating situation in the Middle East, the District Administration Leh today set up a 24×7 Help Desk and Emergency District Control Room to assist the families of students and residents from Leh district currently stranded in Iran.
According to a public notice issued by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, the control room will operate from the DC office Leh and will serve as a point of contact for families seeking assistance or information.
The administration has issued the following helpline numbers for immediate support, Landline: 01982-252049 – Mobile: 09149909251.
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