A Ghaziabad resident Ravi Bhushan, among the first of the 75 Indian nationals to return home from Syria, recalled his terrifying experience of the conflict at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Thursday, December 12.
In an interview with the Press Trust of India (PTI), Bhushan who went to Syria for business purposes, said that the current situation in Syria is dire, with widespread panic, firing, bombing, looting, and destruction.
“The situation there is currently unfavourable and is expected to worsen in the coming days,” he said.
He further said that the Syrian embassy consistently communicated with them about their rescue operation schedules and arrangements for any food or other issues.
Bhushan expressed gratitude to the Indian government and embassies in Lebanon and Syria.
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On December 11, India evacuated 75 Indian nationals, including 44 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir, from Syria
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the Indian nationals safely crossed over to Lebanon and will return by available commercial flights to India.
It said, “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.”
What happened in Syria?
The Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, saw a significant shift on Sunday, December 8, when rebels overthrew the Bashar Al Assad regime and seized Damascus.
Syrian rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) began their surprise offensive into the country on November 27.
The rebels, after 12 days of fighting, successfully seized control of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs, Syria’s second-largest cities.
On December 8, HTS-led rebels announced their entry into Damascus and the release of individuals from the extreme military prison, Saydnaya.
Russian state news agencies later reported that Assad and his family have been granted asylum in Moscow.
The Assad family, known for their strict rule and punishing those who disagreed with them, has been in power in Syria for over 53 years.
