An evacuation flight carrying 160 Indians — who had crossed into Jordan from Israel on Sunday — was diverted to Kuwait on Monday after Iranian strikes on US bases triggered widespread airspace closures.
Flight number J91254, which departed from Amman around 2:30 p.m. on Monday en route to Kuwait and then to Delhi, had to change course mid-air and return to Kuwait following Iranian attacks in retaliation for the US bombing of Iranian nuclear installations on June 22.
The Islamic Republic had threatened to retaliate in the wake of the American decision to join forces with Israel in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan.
The evacuees have been placed in a holding area at the Kuwait airport, awaiting further instructions. “We’re being looked after, but the wait continues,” said Arvind Shukla, a post-doctoral fellow onboard the flight, speaking to PTI over the phone.
The Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi and the Embassy in Kuwait are keeping in touch with the authorities and closely monitoring the situation.
Despite being on the way since early Sunday, the evacuees, who were among the first batch under Operation Sindhu launched on June 19 to evacuate Indians in Israel, are maintaining calm and waiting for further instructions, Shukla said.
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With inputs from PTI