New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): Under the Operation Sindhu, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje received 224 Indian nationals who returned to India from Israel at 10:30 am in an Indian Air Force aircraft on Wednesday.

A total of 818 Indian nationals from Israel have returned so far under the Operation Sindhu.

'MoS Ms. Shobha Karandlaje received 224 Indian nationals who returned to India from Israel on an IAF aircraft at 10:30 Hrs on 25th June. Safety and security of Indian nationals remains a priority for the government. Till date, 818 Indian nationals have returned home from Israel as part of Operation Sindhu', the Ministry of External Affairs shared in their 'X' post.

The Indian government launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate all the Indian nationals from Iran and Israel amidst the escalating tensions between both countries.

According to Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje, the Government of India also evacuated citizens from Nepal and Sri Lanka. All the evacuees returned to the country by crossing the Egypt and Jordan border.

'Today, we have welcomed 224 Indian citizens who have returned from Israel. These people crossed the Jordan and Egypt land borders to take the IAF flight. The Government of India has also evacuated Nepali and Sri Lankan citizens', Karandlaje told ANI.

Earlier today, another special flight carrying 282 Indian nationals stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Wednesday, taking the total number of people evacuated under Operation Sindhu to 2,858.

'282 Indian nationals were evacuated from Iran on a special flight that arrived in New Delhi from Mashhad at 00:01 hrs on 25th June. With this, 2858 Indian nationals have been brought home from Iran,' the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a post on X.

The operation was launched amidst the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, which had gripped the region for the past couple of weeks before a ceasefire was agreed on Tuesday. (ANI)