75 Indian nationals evacuated from Syria, all safe and sound

The Ministry of External Affairs has said that over 75 Indians stranded in strife-torn Syria have been evacuated.

The move comes as the security situation in the country worsened after the rebel forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham wrested power, toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The evacuation, coordinated by the embassies of India in Damascus and Beirut, was put into effect following an assessment of the security situation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. 

The MEA said the government accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad.

In its first reaction to the events in the country, the MEA said on Monday that it was monitoring the unfolding developments in Syria and called for a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process.

The MEA had also issued a strong advisory a few days ago calling for Indian nationals against travelling to Syria and urging those currently in the country to leave immediately due to the escalating conflict.

Clashes continue in Syria with the rebels claiming they took the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor from the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).