Over 1,150 Indians exit Iran via land borders amid West Asia conflict: MEA

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like New Delhi: Over 1,150 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict a month ago, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday. FILE: A repatriation flight with stranded Indians nationals in Iran reaches Delhi airport. (Hindustan Times)It also said that three Indians were injured in attacks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday. "Our embassy in Tehran has facilitated the movement of 1,171 Indian nationals, including 818 students, to exit Iran via the land borders into Armenia and Azerbaijan," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. "From there, our nationals have been flying back to India," he said. Jaiswal said 977 Indian nationals crossed over from Iran into Armenia, and 194 into Azerbaijan. According to official data, around 9,000 Indians including students were in Iran when the conflict began following strikes on Iranian targets by Israel and the US on February 28. Aseem Mahajan, additional secretary (Gulf) in the MEA, said three Indian nationals sustained minor injuries in attacks in Dubai on Tuesday. "They are receiving medical treatment at local hospitals and one has since been discharged," he said. Eight Indian nationals have died in the conflict in West Asia so far. An Indian was killed this week in Kuwait in an Iranian strike on a power and water desalination plant. Last week, an Indian national was among two killed in the United Arab Emirates when debris of missiles intercepted by the country's air defence system fell on a street. On March 18, another Indian national was killed in an Iranian attack on Riyadh. Two Indian nationals were killed and 10 others injured in a drone strike in Oman's Sohar city on March 13. Three Indian sailors were killed in attacks on merchant vessels earlier. Mahajan said the bodies of an Indian seafarer killed in an attack on the merchant vessel Safesea Vishnu off the coast of Iraq on March 11 and another killed in Kuwait on March 29 arrived in the country on Wednesday. In the last couple of weeks, India has ramped up its diplomatic efforts to ensure safety and security of 10 million Indian nationals living in West Asia.