While Iran and Israel continue to trade strikes, 126 people from Karnataka, who were stranded in Iran, have been evacuated and brought to Turkmenistan. They will be split into two batches, with the first batch expected to land in Bengaluru on Thursday, and the second on Friday, said the deputy chairman of the Non-Resident Indian Forum, Government of Karnataka, Dr Arathi Krishna.

With no end in sight to the conflict, the forum wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Tehran, urging them to take immediate steps to shift those stranded to safer locations, and bring them back to Karnataka.

The Indian Government launched Operation Sindhu for the evacuation of Indians from Iran and Israel, and the latter began arriving in India from Thursday early morning.

“Among the 126 evacuated are medical students, tourists, and those on a pilgrimage in Iran. They contacted the NRI Forum and sought help. We coordinated, made arrangements, and they have been evacuated from Iran,” Arathi said, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

She added that on Thursday, June 19, the evacuees were in Turkmenistan, from where they will be brought to Karnataka. While the first batch were scheduled to land in the state on Thursday, the second is expected to reach by Friday.

She, however, informed that the forum has not received any calls from Israel yet, according to the report by The New Indian Express.

Arati's Officer on Special Duty, HS Sathish said "The students who were in Qom (city in Iran) have been now shifted to Mashad. The embassy is making all preparations for the evacuation of the same. However, those who had gone for religious studies have not reached Mashad yet and efforts are being made by the embassy."