'Saw missiles, heard bombs in neighbourhood': Indian students recall Iran-Israel conflict horror

New Delhi: "We saw missiles in the sky and heard bombs in our neighbourhood... We were petrified", said MBBS student Mir Khalif, his voice still trembling with fear, as he stepped out of the Delhi airport after being evacuated from war-hit Iran under Operation Sindhu.

Khalif arrived in the national capital early Thursday in the first evacuation flight carrying 110 Indian students as part of the special operation launched by the Indian government in response to the escalating Iran-Israel conflict.

The students, including 90 from Jammu and Kashmir, were moved from Tehran to Armenia earlier this week as explosions and aerial attacks rocked Iranian cities. The rescue was coordinated by the Indian Embassy.

Khalif, who hails from Kashmir, described the experience in Iran as a nightmare.

"We saw missiles and heard bombings. It was a war zone. Our building shook during the attacks. I hope no student has to face what we did," he said.

Varta, another student from Kashmir, recalled the fear she lived through.

"The situation was quite critical. We were terrified when our neighbourhood was attacked. When the Indian government reached our doorstep, we felt relieved," she said, thanking the Indian Embassy and Armenian authorities for their swift support.

Ali Akbar, a student from Delhi, said the destruction was visible everywhere.

"We saw a missile and a drone fall from the sky while travelling in a bus. Tehran is in ruins. The images on the news are real, the situation is very bad," he said.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh reached the Delhi airport to receive the students.

Later, in a post on X, he said, "Warmly welcomed home the first group of 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu, reaffirming India's steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad." Singh confirmed that evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu are ongoing, with more flights scheduled.

"Another plane is ready to leave today. We are also evacuating people from Turkmenistan. Our missions are running 24-hour helplines. As the situation unfolds, more flights will follow," he told reporters, thanking the governments of Armenia and Turkmenistan for their cooperation.

At the Delhi airport, many parents waited anxiously to reunite with their children.

Haider Ali, father of MBBS student Maaz Haider, said, "We are happy and grateful, but our hearts are still heavy knowing that many students are still stuck in Tehran. We urge the government to bring them back too." Parvez Alam from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, whose son studied in Urmia, said, "We were under constant stress. The students were shifted to Armenia and looked after well. We thank the government for this." The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for the evacuation.