Op Sindhu: Of 3,597 evacuated from Iran, 1,500 hailed from J&K, says govt

Of 3,597 Indian nationals who were evacuated from Iran under Operation Sindhu, 1,521 citizens hailed from Jammu and Kashmir and 1,198 from Uttar Pradesh, according to data shared by the government on Thursday.

The data was shared in a written response by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to a query in the Rajya Sabha.

In a response to a separate query, he said, "Thirteen Indian nationals remain in the Russian armed forces, out of which 12 individuals have been reported missing by the Russian side."  "The Russian authorities concerned have been urged to provide an update on all the remaining/missing individuals, and also ensure their safety, well-being and early discharge," the MoS said.

Citing available information, he said there were 127 Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces, out of which the services of 98 individuals were discontinued as a result of sustained engagement between the Indian and Russian governments on this matter, including at the highest levels.

Singh was asked the number of Indians, including students, travellers and workers who are residing in Iran and Israel, as also if any Indian was killed during the recent Iran-Israel conflict.

"As per available information, no Indian casualties have been reported in Iran or Israel during the recent conflict," he said.

At present, approximately 40,100 Indians are residing in Israel, including students, caregivers, construction and agricultural workers, business persons/experts, etc., Singh said.

In Iran, prior to the recent conflict, approximately 10,000 Indians were residing, including students, workers, seafarers and fishermen, pilgrims and travellers.

The government of India had evacuated 4,415 Indian nationals from Iran and Israel under Operation Sindhu conducted recently.

Under the operation, 3,597 Indian nationals were evacuated from Iran, and 818 from Israel.

In his response, the minister also shared state-wise figures of evacuated citizens, from both the countries amid the conflict.

Of the 3,597 Indian nationals who were evacuated from Iran under Operation Sindhu, the state-wise data showed that 1,521 citizens were from Jammu and Kashmir; 1,198 from Uttar Pradesh; 223 from Ladakh; 89 from Maharashtra; 135 from Karnataka; and 50 from Bihar, among other states.

Of the 818 Indian nationals who were evacuated from Israel under the operation, the state-wise data showed that 151 citizens hailed from West Bengal and 93 from Maharashtra, among other states.

In a separate query, Singh was asked about the measures the government is taking to address the "exploitation of millions of Indian workers in the Gulf", especially in construction and domestic work, where they face degrading conditions.

"As per the data available, a total of 7,001 and 3,723 death cases of Indian nationals (including Indian workers) from various causes in the Gulf countries were reported in 2024 and 2025 (till June), respectively," he said.

"The Missions/Posts utilise the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) from time to time to provide financial and legal assistance to Indian nationals in distress abroad including workers in Gulf countries on a means-tested basis. Under ICWF, the major assistance/facilitation includes boarding and lodging, air passage to India, and legal assistance," he added.

In response to another query, Singh shared that as per the information available with the ministry, the number of Indians who gave up their Indian citizenship stood at 1,44,017 in 2019; 85,256 (in 2020); 1,63,370 (in 2021); 2,25,620 (in 2022); 2,16,219 (in 2023) and 2,06,378 (in 2024).