Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste personally received 143 passengers, who arrived at the Delhi airport from Israel on an Indian flight, amid the ongoing conflict with the terrorist group Hamas.
It was the sixth flight under ‘Operation Ajay’, an ongoing effort by the Indian armed forces to repatriate citizens caught up and stranded in the ongoing Israeli counter-offensive on Hamas.
The Union Minister for Steel and Rural Development expressed his happiness and relief over the safe repatriation of stranded Indians from Israel after the sixth flight touched down in the national capital.
Speaking to ANI at the Delhi airport, the Union Minister said, “I am present here to welcome everyone (flying in from Israel). I am happy to have received this opportunity to welcome fellow citizens being repatriated from Israel. It is a great relief personally that 143 Indians have returned safe and sound from the conflict zone.”
On the stranded Indians yet to be accounted for and repatriated, the Union Minister said efforts were to evacuate each and every citizen who wished to return.
He added that as soon as the formalities are taken care of, arrangements would be made to fly them back.
The evacuees, who returned on Sunday night by an 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.”
‘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.