Operation Ajay to rescue stranded Indians, diaspora plans vigil in UK

India on Wednesday launched 'Operation Ajay' to bring back its citizens stuck in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The Embassy of India in Israel also informed that it has emailed the first lot of registered Indian citizens for the special flight on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Indian diaspora groups have organised a peace vigil in front of the Israel Embassy in London this Saturday, October 14, at 2 PM to express their solidarity and support for Israel in light of the recent tragic events. 

"We, the Bhartiya community, unite with Israel, offering our unwavering moral support," they said, calling for the gathering to come with candles.

This is not the first time that India has launched such operations to bring back its citizens from war zones, pandemics and natural calamities.

Earlier, it had launched a 'multi-pronged' initiative named 'Operation Ganga' to assist Indian evacuation from Ukraine where around 20,000 Indians including students were stuck in Ukraine.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, India launched the Vande Bharat Mission to bring back Indian citizens stranded in foreign countries. In the multiple phases of the operation, about 6 million Indians were brought back.

Under Operation Samudra Setu, a naval operation, 3,992 Indian citizens were brought back from overseas during the pandemic.

In March 2016, an evacuation from Brussels was carried out by India when Belgium was hit by terrorist strikes at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, and one at Maalbeek Metro station in central Brussels.

A total of 242 Indians, including 28 crew members, returned to India on a Jet Airways flight.

In 2015, a conflict raged between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels. Under Operation Raahat, nearly 5,600 people were evacuated from Yemen.

Under joint relief and rescue Operation Maitri in 2015, the Indian government and the Indian Armed forces brought over 5,000 Indians back from Nepal in the aftershock of the 2015 Nepal earthquake. It also successfully evacuated 170 foreign nationals from the US, the UK, Russia and Germany.

*With ANI inputs