India evacuates 75 nationals from Syria as rebels topple Assad’s regime

At least 75 Indian nationals were safely evacuated from Syria where the Islamist rebels have toppled President Bashar al-Assad and are set to form their own government.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that the 75 nationals had crossed over to Lebanon and will return via commercial flights.

“The evacuees included 44 ‘zaireen’ from Jammu and Kashmir who were stranded at Saida Zainab,” the MEA said in a statement.

“The evacuation, coordinated by the embassies of India in Damascus and Beirut, was put into effect following our assessment of the security situation and requests from Indian nationals in Syria. The Indian government accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad,” the ministry added.

The ministry further advised the Indian nationals in Syria to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus.

“Indian nationals remaining in Syria are advised to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus at their emergency helpline number +963 993385973 (also on WhatsApp) and email ID ([email protected]) for updates. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely,” the statement stated.

Syria’s Islamist rebel leader has pledged to hold accountable former senior government officials for torture and war crimes. 

This comes on the heels of talks on transferring power after President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. 

Al-Jolani, who is now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, promised to offer rewards to anyone providing information about senior army and security officers involved in war crimes. 

“We will not hesitate to hold accountable the criminals, murderers, security and army officers involved in torturing the Syrian people,” Al-Jolani said in a statement on Telegram on Tuesday (Dec 10).

“We will offer rewards to anyone who provides information about senior army and security officers involved in war crimes,” he said.

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He further said that his incoming administration aims to ensure the return of officials who have fled abroad.

Al-Jolani Sharaa held talks with outgoing prime minister Mohammed al-Jalali on Monday (Dec 9) “to coordinate a transfer of power that guarantees the provision of services” to Syria’s people, as per an earlier statement on Telegram.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.

 

(With inputs from agencies)