New Delhi [India], April 17 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday that 2,361 individuals have been successfully repatriated to India since the commencement of the conflict in West Asia.

During a weekly media briefing in the capital, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal detailed that the returnees comprise Indian students and fishermen, along with three foreign nationals.

'Since the outbreak of the conflict, we have helped bring 2,361 Indian citizens safely from Iran to India. Of these, 2,060 came via Armenia and 301 via Azerbaijan. This 2,361 includes 1,041 Indian students, as well as three foreigners--one from Bangladesh, one from Sri Lanka, and one from Guyana. We have also helped three of them. I had told you before that nearly 7,500 Indian nationals were present in Iran at that time,' Jaiswal stated.

This large-scale evacuation effort coincides with a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States, which was implemented on April 8.

Bolstering these figures, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed on April 11 that an additional group of 312 Indian fishermen had been safely moved from Iran to India via Armenia.

Expressing his gratitude on social media platform X, the EAM thanked the Armenian government and his counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, for their pivotal role, noting that Armenia has been 'facilitating the evacuation of Indian nationals in Iran.'

Before these movements, the Indian Embassy in Tehran had issued an advisory on April 8, urging remaining citizens to depart the country promptly in coordination with diplomatic staff.

The Embassy specifically cautioned against attempting to cross international land borders without prior consultation and provided emergency contact details for those in need of assistance.

The regional crisis escalated significantly on February 28, following joint military strikes by Israel and the United States on Tehran and other Iranian urban centres.

The operation resulted in the death of Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, alongside high-ranking military officials.

In retaliation, Tehran executed extensive missile and drone strikes against Israeli and American interests across the Middle East, while simultaneously tightening its grip on the Strait of Hormuz. (ANI)